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Reports and Findings
The economic and health burdens of diseases caused by group A Streptococcus in New Zealand
In preparation for the future arrival of a group A Streptococcus (GAS) vaccine, this study estimated the economic and health burdens of GAS diseases in New Zealand. The annual incidence of GAS diseases was based on extrapolation of the average number of primary healthcare episodes managed each year in general practices (2014-2016) and on the average number of hospitalizations occurring each year (2005-2014). Disease incidence was multiplied by the average cost of diagnosing and managing an episode of disease at each level of care to estimate the annual economic burden.
Published research Rheumatic Heart Disease Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart DiseaseGlobal Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risk Factors, 1990-2019: Update From the GBD 2019 Study
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), principally ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, are the leading cause of global mortality and a major contributor to disability. This paper reviews the magnitude of total CVD burden, including 13 underlying causes of cardiovascular death and 9 related risk factors, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019. GBD, an ongoing multinational collaboration to provide comparable and consistent estimates of population health over time, used all available population-level data sources on incidence, prevalence, case fatality, mortality, and health risks to produce estimates for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.
Published research Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart DiseaseSubcutaneous administration of benzathine benzylpenicillin G has favourable pharmacokinetic characteristics for the prevention of rheumatic heart disease compared with intramuscular injection
Benzathine penicillin G has been used as monthly deep intramuscular (IM) injections since the 1950s for secondary prevention of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Injection frequency and pain are major programmatic barriers for adherence, prompting calls for development of better long-acting penicillin preparations to prevent RHD.
Published research Immunisation Rheumatic Heart Disease Infectious Diseases Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyThe risk of intramuscular haematoma is low following injection of benzathine penicillin G in patients receiving concomitant anticoagulant therapy
Our local data supports continuing intramuscular injection of BPG in patients with rheumatic heart disease receiving anticoagulant medication
Published research Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease