Rheumatic Heart Disease News and Research

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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

Potential target for Group A Streptococcus vaccine identified

Most people think of "strep throat" as a relatively benign infection cured by a round of antibiotics and a few days of rest. But the bacterium that causes strep throat -- Group A Streptococcus -- is also responsible for a number of much more dangerous disorders, including rheumatic heart disease and toxic shock syndrome.

1 Apr 2019

World's major heart surgery organizations call for effective strategies to treat rheumatic heart disease

Experts from the world's major heart surgery organizations-including The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery-are calling for urgent action to develop and implement effective strategies for treating rheumatic heart disease, which affects 33 million people and kills 320,000 annually.

3 Aug 2018

Women of childbearing age with rheumatic heart disease face double danger

Today, most people in the United States rarely think of rheumatic heart disease (RHD)-or the rheumatic fever that causes it-as more than a historical footnote.

28 Mar 2018

Researchers propose different approach to beat antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Got a sore throat? The doctor may write a quick prescription for penicillin or amoxicillin, and with the stroke of a pen help diminish public health and your own future health by helping bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics.

30 Dec 2017

Study identifies two genes involved in invasive group A Streptococcus infections

Group A Streptococcus bacteria cause a variety of illnesses that range from mild nuisances like strep throat to life-threatening conditions including pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome and the flesh-eating disease formally known as necrotizing fasciitis.

22 Sep 2017

Houston Methodist researchers find pathway for treating diseases caused by flesh-eating bacteria

Researchers at Houston Methodist have solved a 100-year-old mystery, providing them a possible key to unlock a pathway for treating diseases caused by flesh-eating bacteria. This is timely news, given the current dangers lurking in the debris and destruction left behind by Hurricane Harvey's floodwaters that destroyed tens of thousands of homes in Texas.

19 Sep 2017

WHO announces new flagship programs for African region over next two years

The World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa announced today four new flagship programs for the region over the next two years, including a major push on adolescent health and the creation of regional emergency hubs.

26 May 2017

Simplified approach to TAVI holds potential to save lives of many patients with rheumatic heart disease

A novel heart valve replacement method is revealed today that offers hope for the thousands of patients with rheumatic heart disease who need the procedure each year. The research is being presented at the SA Heart Congress 2016

9 Sep 2016

Griffith University to collaborate with Olymvax for new vaccine technology that could benefit millions

Griffith University will partner with a Chinese pharmaceutical, Olymvax Biopharmaceuticals Inc. for a new vaccine that could benefit millions.

2 Aug 2016

Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly comes to end after approving many new resolutions

The Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly closed today after approving new resolutions on WHO's Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors; the Sustainable Development Goals; the International Health Regulations; tobacco control; road traffic deaths and injuries; nutrition; HIV, hepatitis and STIs; mycetoma; research and development; access to medicines and integrated health services.

31 May 2016

Australian researchers identify genetic map of human parasitic scabies mite

Australian researchers have used cutting-edge genome technologies to reveal the genetic makeup of a widespread skin parasite causing serious health problems in Aboriginal communities.

15 Feb 2016

Doctors in Mexico show benefits of healthy diet, exercise in heart failure patients

Doctors in Mexico have shown the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise in patients with heart failure, in research presented at the Mexican Congress of Cardiology 2015.

22 Nov 2015

Researchers track re-emergence of scarlet fever-causing bacteria

An international study led by University of Queensland researchers has tracked the re-emergence of a childhood disease which had largely disappeared over the past 100 years.

4 Nov 2015

IV drug abusers who undergo infective endocarditis surgery face higher risk of reoperation or death

Injection drug users who undergo surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) have a significantly higher risk of reoperation or death between 3 and 6 months after surgery compared to patients who develop endocarditis who are not IV drug abusers, according to an article in the September 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

1 Sep 2015

Groundbreaking, combination vaccine may help beat Streptococcus A infections

Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics has developed a groundbreaking, combination vaccine that may finally beat Streptococcus A infections.

2 Jun 2015

Two physicians examine heart disease through a literary lens

Heart disease has topped mortality charts as the No. 1 killer of men and women for many decades, but a novel analysis of American literary fiction by two physicians finds the disorder’s presence in great novels has remained relatively modest.

12 May 2015

Cardiovascular deaths continue to rise globally despite gains in prevention, treatment

As the global population pushes past 7 billion and more people reach old age, the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases is on the rise. Cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of premature death in the world, include heart attacks, strokes, and other circulatory diseases.

6 Apr 2015

Researchers reveal obstacles that prevent Ugandans with RHD from getting life-saving penicillin

Penicillin has nearly eradicated rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in the United States. But 15 million people still suffer with the disease worldwide, and 1.4 million die each year, according to World Heart Federation.

2 Apr 2015