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The reduction in ARF recurrence indicates that the RHD control program has improved secondary prophylaxis; a decline in RHD incidence is expected to follow.
Vaccine prevention of GAS infections and their immunological complications has been a goal of researchers for decades.
The desire for an effective vaccine arises from the large burden of disease caused by the bacterium, particularly rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.
Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) occur at very high rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
We review GAS transmission characteristics and prevention strategies, historical and geographical trends and report on the estimated global burden disease...
Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is an important cause of heart disease in Indigenous people of northern and central Australia.
In Australia, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is almost exclusively restricted to Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people with children being...
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is underdiagnosed globally resulting in missed treatment opportunities and adverse clinical outcomes. We describe the protocol for a study which aims to co-design, implement and conduct an evaluation of a task-sharing approach to echocardiographic active case finding for early detection and management of RHD in high-risk settings in Australia and Timor-Leste.
In Australia, accurate case ascertainment of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) diagnoses for disease surveillance and control purposes requires the use of multiple data sources, including RHD registers and hospitalisation records. Despite drawing on multiple data sources, the true burden of ARF/RHD is likely to be underestimated.
Rheumatic heart disease remains a major public health challenge in Ethiopia, particularly among children. Monthly intramuscular benzathine penicillin G is the cornerstone of secondary prophylaxis, yet adherence and delivery are suboptimal. This study explores the lived experiences of children and adolescents with RHD, capturing their direct voices and those of their caregivers to understand determinants of secondary prophylaxis uptake.