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Research
Searching for Strep A in the clinical environment during a human challenge trial: a sub-study protocolStreptococcus pyogenes (also known as group A Streptococcus , Strep A) is an obligate human pathogen with significant global morbidity and mortality. Transmission is believed to occur primarily between individuals via respiratory droplets, but knowledge about other potential sources of transmission via aerosols or the environment is limited. Such knowledge is required to design optimal interventions to control transmission, particularly in endemic settings.
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Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination to prevent febrile and respiratory illness in adults (BRACE): secondary outcomes of a randomised controlled phase 3 trialBacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination has off-target (non-specific) effects that are associated with protection against unrelated infections and decreased all-cause mortality in infants. We aimed to determine whether BCG vaccination prevents febrile and respiratory infections in adults.
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Modelling respiratory syncytial virus age-specific risk of hospitalisation in term and preterm infantsRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute lower respiratory infections in children worldwide. The highest incidence of severe disease is in the first 6 months of life, with infants born preterm at greatest risk for severe RSV infections.
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Plasma adenosine deaminase-1 and -2 activities are lower at birth in Papua New Guinea than in The Gambia but converge over the first weeks of lifeDynamic cellular and molecular adaptations in early life significantly impact health and disease. Upon birth, newborns are immediately challenged by their environment, placing urgent demands on the infant immune system.
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Western Australian health care workers’ views on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for the workplaceHealth care workers (HCWs) are at an increased risk of catching and spreading Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with the general community, putting health systems at risk. Several jurisdictions globally have mandated or are looking to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for this cohort, but little is known about the acceptability of this measure, especially in different contexts, and there is little qualitative data to explore nuance, depth, and the reasons behind HCWs’ opinions.
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Getting to grips with invasive group A streptococcal infection surveillance in Australia: are we experiencing an epidemic?Asha Rosemary Jeffrey Bowen Wyber Cannon BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD FAHMS OAM MBChB MPH FRACGP PhD BSc(Hons) BBus PhD Head, Healthy Skin and ARF
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Improving primary care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with rheumatic heart disease: What can I do?Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, with devastating impacts on morbidity, mortality and community wellbeing. Research suggests that general practitioners and primary care staff perceive insurmountable barriers to improving clinical outcomes, including the need for systemic change outside their scope of practice.
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Reopening to the world: how safety, normality and trust in government shape young adults’ COVID-19 vaccine intentionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, and particularly 2020-2021, young adults were often significant transmitters of the virus. Prior to the availability of vaccines for young adults, we sought to understand what would contribute to their uptake of a COVID-19 vaccine and how government policy might intervene. We undertook qualitative interviews between February and April 2021 with 19 participants (aged 18-29) in Perth, Western Australia.
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Consensus guidelines for antifungal stewardship, surveillance and infection prevention, 2021Invasive fungal diseases (IFD) are serious infections associated with high mortality, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The prescribing of antifungal agents to prevent and treat IFD is associated with substantial economic burden on the health system, high rates of adverse drug reactions, significant drug-drug interactions and the emergence of antifungal resistance.
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Clindamycin adjunctive therapy for severe Staphylococcus aureus treatment evaluation (CASSETTE)-an open-labelled pilot randomized controlled trialCombination antibiotic therapy with an antitoxin agent, such as clindamycin, is included in some guidelines for severe, toxin-mediated Staphylococcus aureus infections. The evidence to support this practice is currently limited to in vitro, animal and observational human case-series data, with no previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs).