Search

START: Towards a diagnostic test for rheumatic fever

In this study we will use new methods to comprehensively test immune responses in blood samples from people with ARF (diagnosed using the Jones Criteria) and healthy volunteers at Royal Darwin and from Auckland Hospital, New Zealand, to find any unique signature that reliably identifies ARF.

STopping Acute Rheumatic Fever Infections to Strengthen Health (STARFISH)

STopping Acute Rheumatic Fever Infections to Strengthen Health (STARFISH) brings together a diverse and multidisciplinary research team to investigate the most effective environmental health initiatives (EHIs) aimed at reducing Strep A infections and prevent Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF).

Strep A Burden of Disease Working Group

The Strep A Burden of Disease Working Group (BoDWG) was first established in 2020 through the Strep A Global Vaccine Consortium (SAVAC).

Publications

Outputs from the Strep A Burden of Disease Working Group

The END RHD CRE: Developing an end game for rheumatic heart disease in Australia

The END RHD CRE will undertake a number of projects across several disciplines of research including epidemiology, biomedical sciences; implementation and translation; and understanding the RHD community with a special focus on documenting the experiences of those living with the disease.

The NZ BPG Pharmacokinetics Study

This work will be undertaken in collaboration with The Kids Research Institute Australia and Australian based research teams to better understand how Penicillin works in Māori and Pacific children/teens who receive monthly BPG injections.

Defining target penicillin concentrations for subsequent studies of a reformulated long-acting benzathine penicillin prototype

Aims: To determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations of penicillin G against a representative collection of Strep A strains; and to evaluate the impact of penicillin G concentration and size of bacterial inoculum on the prophylactic effect for Strep A strains

Development of a longer acting formulation of Penicillin G for the treatment and prevention of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease

This project aims to develop a longer acting formulation of penicillin, such that frequency of the injection can be increased up to 3-6 months.

Establishing a Western Australian Congenital and Acquired Heart Disease Database

The main objective of the study is to establish a comprehensive register of congenital and acquired heart disease in WA with accurate re-classification of all cases through Princess Margart Hospital using international diagnostic codes.

Evaluating the genetic contribution to rheumatic heart disease pathogenesis in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

We are conducting a genetic study to better understand why some people are susceptible to RHD and others are not.