Strep A and Rheumatic Heart Disease

Our research projects have a strong focus on tackling rheumatic fever, which is caused by an abnormal immune reaction to a Streptococcus A infection of the throat (known as 'strep throat'), or the skin.

Repeated Strep A infections and repeated attacks of rheumatic fever during childhood and adolescence can damage the valves in the heart leading to rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Without treatment the disease can cause life threatening heart failure and premature death. For women, the disease can bring an increased risk of stroke and death during pregnancy and childbirth.

The Telethon Kids Institute is also leading a national and international push to secure funding and develop tools to fast-track a vaccine against all diseases caused by Streptococcus A bacteria, potentially having a major global impact on reducing deaths worldwide.

A subset of activities within our research program includes:

• Working on the development of a vaccine to prevent Streptococcus A infections, including invasive Strep A disease.
• The END RHD Centre of Research Excellence which is building a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap to end rheumatic heart disease in Australia.
• A genetic study to better understand why some people are susceptible to RHD and others are not.
• Investigating ways to develop a better formulation of penicillin (e.g. an implant) that will provide a practical, less painful method of treatment and protection. This will vastly increase the number of patients being successfully managed and prevent acute rheumatic fever developing into rheumatic heart disease.
• Using the latest ‘omics technologies to profile the immunological and metabolomic phenotype of people with ARF, with a view to developing a new diagnostic test and informing new approaches to immunotherapeutic treatment.
• REACH, a technical support and policy translation initiative to amplify rheumatic heart disease control efforts locally, regionally and globally.  REACH is a core partner of RHD Action, a coalition of global organisations working together to establish a scientific and technical support community available to all countries, advocate for policy change for better heart health, support and empower all people living with RHD and foster multi-sectoral partnerships to support and sustain the global movement.

Team Highlights

The Strep A and Rheumatic Heart Disease team have several highlights for 2017/2018. These include spear-heading a national alliance of health and community organisations who are advocating for a commitment from the government to prioritise the end of RHD in Australia. END RHD is the first time such a broad-based coalition has come together to pool their collective expertise around what needs to be done to address RHD in Australia; World Health Organization unanimously adopted a Global Resolution on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, this historic decision marks the first time that Rheumatic Fever (RF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) have been recognised as global health priorities on the world stage; success in being awarded a NHMRC project grant  - Towards a diagnostic test for rheumatic fever. $2,117,967.10 (Jonathan Carapetis, Anthony Bosco, Patrick Holt and Glenn Pearson); the launch of Tools for Implementing RHD Control Programmes (TIPs), this second edition represents the most comprehensive resource on RHD control in developing countries; the Strep A Spectrum Meetings: from Science to Strategy, where over 60 investigators, collaborators, and representatives from the broader community attended the meeting, ensuring all aspects of the RHD and Strep A research community were well represented, including international researchers from New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States; and membership of the new Global Strep A Vaccine Consortium, which currently has a funding application under consideration at the Wellcome Trust.