An evaluation and refinement of the "Hep B Story" app, tailored to meet the community's cultural needs.

Background: Hepatitis B is endemic amongst the Australian Aboriginal population in the Northern Territory. A participatory action research project identified the lack of culturally appropriate education tools and led to the development of the "Hep B Story" app in the Aboriginal language Yolŋu Matha. This paper describes a formal evaluation of the app's first version, which informed improvements and translation into a further ten Aboriginal languages.

Strongyloides stercoralis seropositivity is not associated with increased symptoms in a remote Aboriginal community.

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted helminth, endemic in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern Australia with estimates of prevalences up to 60%. Hyperinfection in the setting of immunosuppression is a rare, but well recognised cause of significant morbidity and mortality. However, the morbidity associated with chronic uncomplicated infection is less well characterised.

High burden of infectious disease and antibiotic use in early life in Australian Aboriginal communities.

Objective: To quantify the childhood infectious disease burden and antibiotic use in the Northern Territory's East Arnhem region through synthesis and analysis of historical data resources.

Methods: We combined primary health clinic data originally reported in three separate publications stemming from the East Arnhem Healthy Skin Project (Jan-01 to Sep-07). Common statistical techniques were used to explore the prevalence of infectious conditions and the seasonality of infections, and to measure rates of antibiotic use.