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Rheumatic Fever Follow-Up Study (RhFFUS) protocol: A cohort study investigating the significance of minorIn Australia, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is almost exclusively restricted to Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people with children being...
Latest news & events at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases.
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The future of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in AustraliaGlobally, ARF and RHD cause more than a quarter of a million deaths and substantial disability each year.
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Penicillin G concentrations required for prophylaxis against Group A Streptococcus infection evaluated using a hollow fibre model and mathematical modellingAcute rheumatic fever (ARF), an autoimmune reaction to Group A Streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes; Strep A) infection, can cause rheumatic heart disease (RHD). New formulations of long-acting penicillins are being developed for secondary prophylaxis of ARF and RHD.
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Evaluation of a Community-Led Program for Primordial and Primary Prevention of Rheumatic Fever in Remote Northern AustraliaEnvironmental factors including household crowding and inadequate washing facilities underpin recurrent streptococcal infections in childhood that cause acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and subsequent rheumatic heart disease (RHD).
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Excess Deaths Associated with Rheumatic Heart Disease, Australia, 2013-2017During 2013–2017, the mortality rate ratio for rheumatic heart disease among Indigenous versus non-Indigenous persons in Australia was 15.9, reflecting health inequity. Using excess mortality methods, we found that deaths associated with rheumatic heart disease among Indigenous Australians were probably substantially undercounted, affecting accuracy of calculations based solely on Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
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Specificity of the Modified Jones CriteriaJonathan Carapetis AM AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS Executive Director; Co-Head, Strep A Translation; Co-Founder of REACH 08 6319 1000 contact@
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2023 World Heart Federation guidelines for the echocardiographic diagnosis of rheumatic heart diseaseRheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an important and preventable cause of morbidity and mortality among children and young adults in low-income and middle-income countries, as well as among certain at-risk populations living in high-income countries. The 2012 World Heart Federation echocardiographic criteria provided a standardized approach for the identification of RHD and facilitated an improvement in early case detection.
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The potential global cost-effectiveness of prospective Strep A vaccines and associated implementation effortsGroup A Streptococcus causes a wide range of diseases from relatively mild infections including pharyngitis to more severe illnesses such as invasive diseases and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Our aim is to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical Strep A vaccine on multiple disease manifestations at the global-level.
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A Review of Cardiac Surgical Procedures and Their Outcomes for Paediatric Rheumatic Heart Disease in Western AustraliaSurgical intervention is an important treatment modality for advanced rheumatic heart disease (RHD). This study aimed to describe patient characteristics and outcomes from cardiac surgery for RHD in patients referred to the only tertiary paediatric hospital in Western Australia.