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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection in young children and the second leading cause of infant death worldwide. While global circulation has been extensively studied for respiratory viruses such as seasonal influenza, and more recently also in great detail for SARS-CoV-2, a lack of global multi-annual sampling of complete RSV genomes limits our understanding of RSV molecular epidemiology.
The World Health Organization identifies a strong surveillance system for malaria and its mosquito vector as an essential pillar of the malaria elimination agenda. Anopheles salivary antibodies are emerging biomarkers of exposure to mosquito bites that potentially overcome sensitivity and logistical constraints of traditional entomological surveys.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of acute lower respiratory infections in children worldwide. The highest incidence of severe disease is in the first 6 months of life, with infants born preterm at greatest risk for severe RSV infections.
Many governments employed mandates for COVID-19 vaccines, imposing consequences upon unvaccinated people. Attitudes towards these policies have generally been positive, but little is known about how discourses around them changed as the characteristics of the disease and the vaccinations evolved.
Controlling the syphilis epidemic in Australia is a public health priority. Regular intramuscular (IM) injections of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) are the current standard of care for late latent syphilis in Australia; however, repeated IM BPG injections are painful, and treatment completion rates are low. Early-phase clinical trials have demonstrated the tolerability and safety of high-dose subcutaneous infusions of BPG (SCIP), where the total treatment dose can be delivered at a single visit. Here we describe the experiences and preferences of attendees of Western Australian sexual health clinics in the Perth metropolitan region who have syphilis and were treated with SCIP.
Japan recently experienced a record surge in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Our environmental surveillance study reveals that Streptococcus pyogenes persists seasonally, peaking in autumn and winter in rural Japan. The dominant emm1 M1UK sublineage and csrS mutations heighten virulence, highlighting the urgent need for targeted surveillance and interventions.
Monitoring the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital beds was a critical component of Australia's real-time surveillance strategy for the disease. From 2021 to 2023, we produced short-term forecasts of bed occupancy to support public health decision-making.
Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) causes a wide spectrum of diseases, ranging from pharyngitis and impetigo to severe invasive infections and immune-mediated conditions such as acute rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease and acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Contemporary data on the global burden of Strep A diseases are lacking.
To provide updated evidence-based clinical guidance in the management of infants with bronchiolitis presenting to emergency departments (EDs), general paediatric, or intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) following the first publication in 2016.
Dual RNA-sequencing (dual RNA-seq) holds significant promise for deciphering bacterial virulence mechanisms during systemic infections. However, its application in sepsis research is hindered by technical challenges, including a low bacterial burden in blood and limited sample volumes and RNA yield from vulnerable populations, such as neonates.