The application of environmental health assessment strategies to detect Streptococcus pyogenes in Kimberley school classrooms.

Background: Children spend almost one-third of their waking hours at school. Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) is a common childhood bacterial infection that can progress to causing serious disease. We aimed to detect Strep A in classrooms by using environmental settle plates and swabbing of high-touch surfaces in two remote schools in the Kimberley, Western Australia.

Searching for Strep A in the clinical environment during a human challenge trial: a sub-study protocol.

(also known as group A , Strep A) is an obligate human pathogen with significant global morbidity and mortality. Transmission is believed to occur primarily between individuals via respiratory droplets, but knowledge about other potential sources of transmission via aerosols or the environment is limited. Such knowledge is required to design optimal interventions to control transmission, particularly in endemic settings.

The role of children in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern within households: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis, as at 30 June 2022.

BackgroundMeta-analyses and single-site studies have established that children are less infectious than adults within a household when positive for ancestral SARS-CoV-2. In addition, children appear less susceptible to infection when exposed to ancestral SARS-CoV-2 within a household. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) has been associated with an increased number of paediatric infections worldwide.

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

Introduction: Group A (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.

Standardization of Epidemiological Surveillance of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis.

Pharyngitis, more commonly known as sore throat, is caused by viral and/or bacterial infections. Group A (Strep A) is the most common bacterial cause of pharyngitis. Strep A pharyngitis is an acute, self-limiting disease but if undertreated can lead to suppurative complications, nonsuppurative poststreptococcal immune-mediated diseases, and toxigenic presentations.

Standardization of Epidemiological Surveillance of Group A Streptococcal Impetigo.

Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the superficial layer of skin. Impetigo is caused by group A (Strep A) and , alone or in combination, with the former predominating in many tropical climates. Strep A impetigo occurs mainly in early childhood, and the burden varies worldwide.

Standardization of Epidemiological Surveillance of Group A Streptococcal Cellulitis.

Cellulitis is an acute bacterial infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue usually found complicating a wound, ulcer, or dermatosis. This article provides guidelines for the surveillance of cellulitis. The primary objectives of cellulitis surveillance are to (1) monitor trends in rates of infection, (2) describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with cellulitis, (3) estimate the frequency of complications, and (4) describe the risk factors associated with primary and recurrent cellulitis.

Missing Piece Study protocol: prospective surveillance to determine the epidemiology of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo in remote Western Australia.

Introduction: Group A β-haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS), a Gram-positive bacterium, causes skin, mucosal and systemic infections. Repeated GAS infections can lead to autoimmune diseases acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia have the highest rates of ARF and RHD in the world.

Lack of effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination against pneumococcal carriage density in Papua New Guinean infants.

Background: Papua New Guinea (PNG) introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in 2014, with administration at 1, 2, and 3 months of age. PCV13 has reduced or eliminated carriage of vaccine types in populations with low pneumococcal carriage prevalence, carriage density and serotype diversity. This study investigated PCV13 impact on serotype-specific pneumococcal carriage prevalence, density, and serotype diversity in PNG infants, who have some of the highest reported rates of pneumococcal carriage and disease in the world.

Modes of transmission and attack rates of group A Streptococcal infection: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity globally. This bacterium is responsible for a range of different infections and post-infectious sequelae. Summarising the current knowledge of Strep A transmission to humans will address gaps in the evidence and inform prevention and control strategies.

Performance and Practicality of a Rapid Molecular Test for the Diagnosis of Strep A Pharyngitis in a Remote Australian Setting.

Over 5 days, 120 schoolchildren from two schools in the remote Kimberley region of Australia were screened for Strep A pharyngitis. Molecular point-of-care testing identified Strep A pharyngitis in 13/18 (72.2%) symptomatic children.

Nasal Delivery of a Commensal Species Inhibits Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Colonization and Delays Onset of Otitis Media in Mice.

Nasopharyngeal colonization with nontypeable (NTHi) is a prerequisite for developing NTHi-associated infections, including otitis media. Therapies that block NTHi colonization may prevent disease development. We previously demonstrated that , a closely related human commensal, can inhibit NTHi colonization and infection of human respiratory epithelium We have now assessed whether (a rodent commensal from the same family) can prevent NTHi colonization and disease using a murine NTHi otitis media model.

The Contribution of Geogenic Particulate Matter to Lung Disease in Indigenous Children.

Indigenous children have much higher rates of ear and lung disease than non-Indigenous children, which may be related to exposure to high levels of geogenic (earth-derived) particulate matter (PM). The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dust levels and health in Indigenous children in Western Australia (W.A.

PCV7- and PCV10-Vaccinated Otitis-Prone Children in New Zealand Have Similar Pneumococcal and Densities in Their Nasopharynx and Middle Ear.

Otitis media (OM) is a major reason for antibiotic consumption and surgery in children. Nasopharyngeal carriage of otopathogens, and nontypeable (NTHi), is a prerequisite for development of OM, and increased nasopharyngeal otopathogen density correlates with disease onset. Vaccines can reduce or eliminate otopathogen carriage, as demonstrated for pneumococcal serotypes included in pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV).

Bacillus licheniformis in geogenic dust induces inflammation in respiratory epithelium.

Exposure to environmental geogenic (or earth-derived) dust can lead to more frequent and severe infections in the human airway. Particulate matter < 10 µm (PM) is the component of air pollution that is commonly associated with the exacerbation of respiratory diseases. We have previously demonstrated that mice exposed to geogenic dust PM experienced an exacerbation of inflammatory responses to influenza A virus.

Geographic consistency in dominant, non-typeable genotypes colonising four distinct Australian paediatric groups: a cohort study.

Non-typeable (NTHi)-associated ear and respiratory diseases (including pneumonia) represent a major health burden in many parts of the world. NTHi strains retrieved from the upper airways commonly reflect those found in the lower airways. Despite growing genomic and genotyping data on NTHi, there remains a limited understanding of global and regional NTHi population structures.

Duplex Quantitative PCR Assay for Detection of Haemophilus influenzae That Distinguishes Fucose- and Protein D-Negative Strains.

We have developed a specific Haemophilus influenzae quantitative PCR (qPCR) that also identifies fucose-negative and protein D-negative strains. Analysis of 100 H. influenzae isolates, 28 Haemophilus haemolyticus isolates, and 14 other bacterial species revealed 100% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 96% to 100%) and 100% specificity (95% CI, 92% to 100%) for this assay.

Haemophilus haemolyticus Interaction with Host Cells Is Different to Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae and Prevents NTHi Association with Epithelial Cells.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an opportunistic pathogen that resides in the upper respiratory tract and contributes to a significant burden of respiratory related diseases in children and adults. Haemophilus haemolyticus is a respiratory tract commensal that can be misidentified as NTHi due to high levels of genetic relatedness. There are reports of invasive disease from H.

Haemophilus influenzae: using comparative genomics to accurately identify a highly recombinogenic human pathogen.

Background: Haemophilus influenzae is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that exclusively colonises humans and is associated with both acute and chronic disease. Despite its clinical significance, accurate identification of H. influenzae is a non-trivial endeavour.