Rheumatic Heart Disease News and Research

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Strep A infections on the rise among Australians, study finds

Australia has experienced an intense surge in severe Strep A cases, similar to the northern hemisphere wave, despite differences in seasons and circulating respiratory viruses, according to a new study.

22 Aug 2023

Asymptomatic throat carriage is the key to transmission of Group A Streptococcus infections

Breakthrough research has found that Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections are more likely transmitted from asymptomatic throat carriage than skin-to-skin contact in communities with high rates of infection.

17 Jul 2023

Rising threat: cardiovascular disease on the rise among young adults

Study estimated the incidence, prevalence, mortality rate, and disability-adjusted life years of CVDs.

28 Jun 2023

UQ-led research effort secures almost $8 million to develop an mRNA Strep A vaccine

A University of Queensland-led research effort to develop an mRNA vaccine against Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) has secured almost $8 million in philanthropic funding.

10 Feb 2023

Collaborative network wins $8 million grant to identify biomarkers for acute rheumatic fever

A collaborative network led by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has received an $8 million grant from the Leducq Foundation to fund a project that will look to identify and validate biomarkers for acute rheumatic fever (ARF).

19 Sep 2022

Household overcrowding found to be a major risk factor for acute rheumatic fever and strep skin

Research led by the University of Otago in New Zealand has uncovered the strongest evidence yet that household overcrowding is a major risk factor for acute rheumatic fever and streptococcal infections of the skin.

7 Jul 2022

Brigham receives $16 million Helmsley Charitable Trust grant to improve healthcare delivery for NCDs

Brigham and Women's Hospital announces a $16 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to support the implementation and evaluation of an integrated service delivery model (PEN-Plus) for severe chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathies, and sickle cell disease in eight low- and lower-middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

1 Jul 2022

Study paves the way for efficient one-dose strategy to reduce scabies prevalence

One dose of an anti-parasite drug was just as effective as two at significantly reducing the spread of scabies, the contagious, intensely itchy skin condition, according to a new study.

10 Feb 2022

Oral penicillin may be a safer option for people with high-risk rheumatic heart disease

A growing body of evidence indicates that some people thought to have an allergic response to injectable penicillin, the standard treatment for rheumatic heart disease, may instead be experiencing a cardiac reaction to the medicine, according to a new American Heart Association presidential advisory published today in Journal of the American Heart Association.

19 Jan 2022

Penicillin can prevent progression of latent rheumatic heart disease in children

A regular, affordable antibiotic treatment significantly reduced the risk of underlying rheumatic heart disease progression in children and adolescents, according to a new study.

14 Nov 2021

Investment in primary prevention can reduce rheumatic heart disease in the African Union

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a major cause of cardiovascular disease in Africa, even as acute rheumatic fever and RHD have become rare in high-income countries.

12 May 2021

New model could help test vaccines against the deadly Strep A bacteria

Researchers have successfully developed a new Strep A human challenge model, paving the way to test vaccines against the common deadly bacteria that causes sore throats, scarlet fever and skin sores.

10 May 2021

Echocardiographic screening for early detection of rheumatic heart disease in schools

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) develops as a long term complication of childhood streptococcal angina. Latent RHD can be detected with echocardiography years before it becomes symptomatic. RHD is curable when treated early with medication.

11 Feb 2021

Study finds increasing risk of heart valve infections in hospitals

People with heart disease or defective or artificial heart valves are at increased risk of developing a potentially deadly valve infection.

29 Sep 2019

Tackling the growing problem of heart disease in children with common sense interventions

Heart disease, which was once an illness affecting adults, is now a major concern among children. In fact, many studies have shown that the risks of cardiovascular disease pile up since childhood, hence, starting to educate them about practicing a healthy lifestyle is crucial to prevent the development of chronic and potentially-fatal diseases in the future.

23 Sep 2019

$15 million grant funds new effort to develop universal vaccine for strep throat infections

CARB-X, an international non-profit partnership of private, academic and government institutions, has awarded SutroVax, Inc., a Northern California-based biopharmaceutical company, with an award of up to $15 million to develop a universal vaccine for Group A Streptococcus, the bacteria that causes pharyngitis or strep throat.

4 Sep 2019

ACC to join fellow experts at NCD Café to kick off Global Week for Actions on NCDs

Noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, are the leading cause of death around the world. NCDs already account for over 70 percent of deaths, with this percentage only expected to increase in the coming years.

30 Aug 2019

IVI and MCRI to coordinate global push for developing vaccine against Strep A bacteria

The International Vaccine Institute and Australia's Murdoch Children's Research Institute will coordinate a global push to free the world of Group A Streptococcus, the contagious bacteria that kills half a million people every year and is developing resistance to antibiotics.

31 May 2019

Large-scale genomic sequencing narrows search for Strep A vaccine

The global search for a group A streptococcal (Strep A) vaccine has narrowed after researchers identified a common gene signature in almost all global Strep A strains by sequencing thousands of genomes in a project spanning 10 years and more than 20 countries.

28 May 2019

Researchers get one step closer to global Strep A vaccine

The search for a global Strep A vaccine has narrowed after researchers sequenced the DNA of more than 2000 Group A Streptococcus samples from around the world.

27 May 2019