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Children at risk of potentially life-threatening Strep A infections no longer have to wait five days for timely treatment, thanks to a The Kids Research Institute Australia study conducted in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Our skin, the body’s largest organ, protects us and maintains overall health. Untreated recurring skin infections like impetigo and scabies severely impact children. The Kids is at the forefront of combatting skin infections, particularly within remote Aboriginal communities experiencing some of the world’s highest rates.
Aboriginal families across Western Australia are being equipped with the knowledge to take early action against potentially life-threatening skin infections thanks to the launch of a Strong Skin phone app.
The Kids Research Institute Australia has two researchers and an innovative science engagement initiative as finalists in the 2017 Premier’s Science Awards.
Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) is responsible for a significant global health and economic burden. The recent prioritization of Strep A vaccine development by the World Health Organization has prompted global research activities and collaborations. To progress this prioritization, establishment of robust surveillance for Strep A to generate updated regional disease burden estimates and to establish platforms for future impact evaluation is essential.
Impetigo or skin sores are estimated to affect >162 million people worldwide. Detailed descriptions of the anatomical location of skin sores are lacking.
Achieving healthy skin requires the prevention of infectious diseases that affect the skin. Prevention activities range from environmental health improvements to address inequities in living situations, through to community-wide treatment programs to reduce transmission and improve skin health.
Remote-living Aboriginal children in Australia contend with higher rates of skin infections than non-Indigenous children. This work was embedded within a stepped-wedge, cluster randomised controlled trial aiming to halve the rate of skin infections in remote Kimberley communities. It outlines and reflects upon the co-development of a health promotion resource in partnership with the East Kimberley community of Warmun, whilst understanding community perceptions of its impact.
Life-threatening invasive infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) are unpredictable, frequently fatal, and are increasing in incidence globally. In the absence of evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), clinical management for these conditions varies. Understanding current management approaches and areas of clinical equipoise will inform planning of feasible high-impact RCTs.
Rising incidence of invasive β-hemolytic streptococcal (iBHS) infections has prompted consideration of vaccination as a preventative strategy for at-risk populations. The benefits of a vaccine targeting Lancefield group A (Streptococcus pyogenes; Strep A) would increase if cross-species immunity against Lancefield groups C/G (Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis; SDSE) and B (Streptococcus agalactiae; GBS) was demonstrated.