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Research

A pilot study to develop assessment tools for Group A Streptococcus surveillance studies

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes pharyngitis (sore throat) and impetigo (skin sores) GAS pharyngitis triggers rheumatic fever (RF) with epidemiological evidence supporting that GAS impetigo may also trigger RF in Australian Aboriginal children. Understanding the concurrent burden of these superficial GAS infections is critical to RF prevention. This pilot study aimed to trial tools for concurrent surveillance of sore throats and skins sore for contemporary studies of RF pathogenesis including development of a sore throat checklist for Aboriginal families and pharynx photography.

Research

The microbiology of impetigo in Indigenous children

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of impetigo pathogens in a randomised, controlled trial of impetigo treatment conducted in remote Indigenous communities

News & Events

The Kids Research Institute Australia researcher wins Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science

Paediatric infectious disease expert and clinician-scientist Associate Professor Asha Bowen has been named as the Emerging Leader in Science at the country’s most prestigious science awards – the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

News & Events

First week of school visits mark official launch of the SToP Trial

The The Kids Skin Health team has a busy six weeks ahead - visiting nine communities throughout the Kimberley region of WA as part of the first school surveillance activities for the SToP Trial.

News & Events

Program aims to stop skin infections in their tracks

An innovative program set to run for about two and a half years aims to halve the number of children affected by skin infections.

Research

Multi-methods process evaluation of the SToP (See, Treat, Prevent) trial: a cluster randomised, stepped wedge trial to support healthy skin

Healthy skin is important for maintaining overall physical and cultural health and wellbeing. However, remote-living Australian Aboriginal children contend with disproportionally high rates of Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) infected impetigo. 

Research

Housing Initiatives to Address Strep A Infections and Reduce RHD Risks in Remote Indigenous Communities in Australia

Asha Rosemary Bowen Wyber BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD FAHMS OAM MBChB MPH FRACGP PhD Head, Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Senior Research Fellow

Research

Clindamycin adjunctive therapy for severe Staphylococcus aureus treatment evaluation (CASSETTE)-an open-labelled pilot randomized controlled trial

Combination antibiotic therapy with an antitoxin agent, such as clindamycin, is included in some guidelines for severe, toxin-mediated Staphylococcus aureus infections. The evidence to support this practice is currently limited to in vitro, animal and observational human case-series data, with no previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Research

Comparison of group A streptococcal titres in healthy children and those with pharyngitis and skin infections

Rates of acute rheumatic fever, a sequelae of group A Streptococcal (GAS) infection, remain unacceptably high in Indigenous Māori and Pacific children in New Zealand. This prospective study aimed to describe GAS antibody titres in healthy children (5–14 years) by ethnicity, and to determine how paired titres vary with GAS culture positive and negative pharyngitis, and GAS skin infections.

Research

In vitro antibacterial activity of Western Australian honeys, and manuka honey, against bacteria implicated in impetigo

Impetigo is a contagious skin disease caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Without treatment, impetigo may be recurrent, develop into severe disease, or have serious, life-threatening sequelae. Standard treatment consists of topical or systemic antibiotic therapy (depending on severity), however, due to antibiotic resistance some therapies are increasingly ineffective.