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New Rheumatic Heart Disease Centre

The Kids Research Institute Australia is proud to announce the launch of a world class Centre of Research Excellence in rheumatic heart disease (RHD).

RHD a notifiable condition

Western Australian doctors are now required by law to report all cases of rheumatic heart disease.

A New Avenue For Controlling Rheumatic Heart Disease?

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most important cause of acquired cardiovascular disease in children and young adults and the most common cause of multivalv

Carol's story: losing a parent to RHD

After being diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease at ten, Elizabeth had to leave country and her family for a large chunk of her childhood so she could be treated in Adelaide.

Margie's story: Parent to a child with ARF

When Liana complained of a sore foot and showed signs of a fever, her mum Margie rushed her to hospital. An X-ray of her foot revealed no obvious injury, so she was sent home and advised to take painkillers.

Estimating the true number of people with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease from two data sources using capture-recapture methodology

In Australia, accurate case ascertainment of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) diagnoses for disease surveillance and control purposes requires the use of multiple data sources, including RHD registers and hospitalisation records. Despite drawing on multiple data sources, the true burden of ARF/RHD is likely to be underestimated.

Dr Janessa Pickering

Dr Janessa Pickering is a research microbiologist with expertise in the molecular diagnostics and host pathogen interactions of upper respiratory tract pathogens that cause disease in children.

Surgery for rheumatic heart disease in the Northern Territory, Australia, 1997-2016: what have we gained?

Between 1964 and 1996, the 10-year survival of patients having valve replacement surgery for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in the Northern Territory, Australia, was 68%. As medical care has evolved since then, this study aimed to determine whether there has been a corresponding improvement in survival.