Postdoctoral Research Fellow / Epidemiologist
B.Tech, MPH, PhD
Dr Barth has a vast array of skills and expertise in disease surveillance and in undertaking epidemiological studies. During his doctoral training at the University of Cape Town, he led the establishment of an African-wide disease registry and biorepository for Strep A infection (The AFROStrep Study). His work represented an important milestone in rheumatic heart disease programs within Africa, given that Strep A plays an initiating role in the development of the disease which results in the mortality of many of Africa’s children.
In May 2018, Dr Barth relocated to Australia to join the world-leading Strep A, rheumatic heart disease and skin health team at the Telethon Kids Institute under the expert guidance of Associate Professor Asha Bowen and Professor Jonathan Carapetis. Dr Barth is leading a school-based prospective surveillance study in the Kimberley WA (The Missing Piece Study) which aims to determine the burden of Strep A pharyngitis in the context of a high prevalence of impetigo to be able to inform evidence-based prevention strategies for rheumatic heart disease in Australia.
Dr Barth’s expertise in epidemiology, surveillance systems, registries and biorepositories, and his experience from the African perspective is well-regarded as he seeks to serve, arguably, the most marginalised people in the world by striving to understand how to prevent Acute Rheumatic Fever in Australian Aboriginal children.
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Publications
September 2022
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 Streptococcus (Strep A) and Staphylococcus aureus, 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. It is an acute, self-limited disease, but many children experience frequent recurrences that make it a chronic illness in some endemic settings.
Published research Skin Infections Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Subsite: END RHD Invasive Streptococcus A Disease Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Strep A Pathogenesis and Diagnostics Strep A & ARF TherapeuticsAugust 2022Roadmap to incorporating group A Streptococcus molecular point-of-care testing for remote Australia: a key activity to eliminate rheumatic heart disease
Published research Rheumatic Heart Disease Skin Infections Aboriginal Health Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Strep A Pathogenesis and DiagnosticsMarch 2022Missing Piece Study protocol: Prospective surveillance to determine the epidemiology of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo in remote Western Australia
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.
Published research Skin Infections Infectious Diseases Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Invasive Streptococcus A Disease Healthy Skin and ARF PreventionFebruary 2022Spatial codistribution of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in Ethiopia
HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria are the three most important infectious diseases in Ethiopia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding the spatial codistribution of these diseases is critical for designing geographically targeted and integrated disease control programmes. This study investigated the spatial overlap and drivers of HIV, TB and malaria prevalence in Ethiopia.
Published research Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Geospatial Health and Development Malaria Geospatial and TuberculosisMarch 2021Modes of transmission and attack rates of group A Streptococcal infection: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
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. The objective of this study is to evaluate the modes of transmission and attack rates of group A streptococcal infection in human populations.
Published research Infectious Diseases Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Subsite: END RHD Invasive Streptococcus A Disease Healthy Skin and ARF PreventionDecember 2020Performance 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. The portability and feasibility of molecular point-of-care testing was highly practical for remote settings.
Published research Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Invasive Streptococcus A DiseaseNovember 2020The incidence of sore throat and group A streptococcal pharyngitis in children at high risk of developing acute rheumatic fever: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis has traditionally been considered the sole precursor of acute rheumatic fever (ARF). Evidence from Australia, however, suggests that GAS skin infections may contribute to the pathogenesis of ARF.
Published research Infectious Diseases Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Invasive Streptococcus A DiseaseOctober 2019Molecular Epidemiology of Noninvasive and Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections in Cape Town
There is low coverage of the multivalent M protein vaccine in our setting, emphasizing the need to reformulate the vaccine to improve coverage
Published research Infectious Diseases Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease -
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