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Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is a common infection at birth with the potential to cause significant and permanent morbidity, most commonly hearing loss. Targeted cCMV testing programmes use hearing loss as an indicator of an infant being at high risk of the infection and thereby can 'target' or focus testing on those at greatest risk. Australian and International guidelines recommend that high-risk infants be offered cCMV testing, yet across Australia, a formal testing system does not exist.
Intramuscular (IM) injection of benzathine benzylpenicillin G (BPG) forms the cornerstone of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) secondary prophylaxis. BPG is available as either a low-cost powdered formulation or a costlier pre-filled suspension. Most of the global RHD burden lies in low- and middle-income countries, which rely on the powdered formulation.
Asha Jacinta Bernadette Bowen Walton Ricciardo BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD FAHMS OAM MBBS (hon) DCH FACD Head, Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention
The abundant skin commensal, Staphylococcus epidermidis, is the leading cause of late-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm infants but rarely causes infections in term infants and adults. Staphylococcal virulence mechanisms and the role of the preterm immune responses in driving these life-threatening infections remain poorly understood.
To investigate the follow-up and outcomes of HIV-exposed infants in a setting of low HIV prevalence. This was a multicenter, retrospective study of live-born infants of women known to be living with HIV, at 9 tertiary pediatric centers in Australia and New Zealand from 2009-2025. Antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal data, and outcomes at clinic visits to 18 months of age were collected, including co-morbidities, development, and HIV results.
Convalscent plasma (CP) was identified as a potential therapy for COVID-19 available early in the pandemic.
There is growing evidence to support partial oral antibiotic treatment of severe infections such as Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, but clinical practice is slow to adopt this paradigm. We know little about how patients with severe infection experience and perceive intravenous and oral antibiotics in terms of quality of life and clinical effectiveness. We performed a qualitative study to elicit patients' views on treatment with intravenous and oral antibiotics, aiming to provide insights that could inform collaborative treatment decision-making.
Although uncommon, invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) results in death in 5%-10% of cases in healthy children and adolescents. This study aimed to examine demographics, clinical presentation, treatment and outcomes of Australian children hospitalized with IMD during the introduction of the meningococcal vaccine program, overall and by serogroup/disease severity.
Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is the most common cause of childhood sepsis contributing to pediatric intensive care unit admission. The cost of adult SAB hospitalization is well described globally, but limited costing information is available for children. To bridge this knowledge gap, we investigated the cost of hospitalization in children with SAB in Australia.
Inadequate housing and living conditions underpin significant health and wellbeing inequality in Australia, particularly for Indigenous people. This review aimed to define infectious disease (ID) outcomes used to measure the health impact of inadequate housing in Australia within a research context.