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Chronic wet cough for longer than 4 weeks is a hallmark of chronic suppurative lung diseases, including protracted bacterial bronchitis, and bronchiectasis in children. Severe lower respiratory infection early in life is a major risk factor of PBB and paediatric bronchiectasis.
One third of children require repeat ventilation tube insertion (VTI) for otitis media. Disease recurrence is associated with persistent middle ear bacterial biofilms. With demonstration that Dornase alfa (a DNase) disrupts middle ear effusion biofilms ex vivo, we identified potential for this as an anti-biofilm therapy to prevent repeat VTI. First, safety and tolerability needed to be measured.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes annual epidemics of infections affecting the whole population. In vitro, it has been shown to infect and persist in human dendritic cells (DCs) for prolonged periods. Initially persistence is associated with low levels of replication before the virus becomes dormant. Reactivation of viral replication can be triggered many months later.
Structural lung changes seen on computed tomography scans in persons with primary ciliary dyskinesia are currently described using cystic fibrosis derived scoring systems. Recent work has shown structural changes and frequencies that are unique to PCD, indicating the need for a unique PCD-derived scoring system.
Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in young children globally and is prevalent in the Papua New Guinea highlands. We investigated clinical predictors of hypoxic pneumonia to inform local treatment guidelines in this resource-limited setting.
Jonathan Lea-Ann Tom Carapetis AM Kirkham Snelling AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS PhD BMBS DTMH GDipClinEpid PhD FRACP Executive Director; Co-Head,
Co-Head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group; Microbiology Lead, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases
Co-head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group (BRIDG)
Peter Richmond MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP Head, Vaccine Trials Group Head, Vaccine Trials Group Professor Peter Richmond is Head of the Vaccine Trials Group
Peter Lea-Ann Ruth Richmond Kirkham Thornton MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP PhD PhD Head, Vaccine Trials Group Co-Head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease