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Perth researchers one step closer to wiping out childhood ear infections

Researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia have identified the main bacteria responsible for recurrent ear infections and repeat ear surgeries in children.

Research

A systems biology approach to determining the risk for development of otitis media

Peter Ruth Elke Richmond Thornton Seppanen MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP PhD BSc PhD Head, Vaccine Trials Group Co-head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious

News & Events

Warm Welcome for the Neonatal Infection and Immunity Team

Clinical Professor Tobias Strunk, Dr Andrew Currie and their Neonatal Infection and Immunity Team have become the newest members of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases.

Research

Defining the microbes in the middle ear and upper respiratory tract that lead to recurrent ear infections – a metagenomic study

Using the latest sequencing technology to examine the microbial composition of the middle ear & nasopharyngeal region, the site of initial colonization of OM

Research

Chronic suppurative otitis media

Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a leading global cause of potentially preventable hearing loss in children and adults, associated with socioeconomic deprivation. There is an absence of consensus on the definition of CSOM, which complicates efforts for prevention, treatment, and monitoring.

Research

Otitis media at 6-monthly assessments of Australian First Nations children between ages 12–36 months: Findings from two randomised controlled trials of combined pneumococcal conjugate vaccines

In remote communities of northern Australia, First Nations children with hearing loss are disproportionately at risk of poor school readiness and performance compared to their peers with no hearing loss. The aim of this trial is to prevent early childhood persisting otitis media (OM), associated hearing loss and developmental delay.

Research

Immunogenicity, otitis media, hearing impairment, and nasopharyngeal carriage 6-months after 13-valent or ten-valent booster pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, stratified by mixed priming schedules: PREVIX_COMBO and PREVIX_BOOST randomised controlled trials

Australian First Nations children are at very high risk of early, recurrent, and persistent bacterial otitis media and respiratory tract infection. With the PREVIX randomised controlled trials, we aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity of novel pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) schedules.

Research

Australian Aboriginal Otitis-Prone Children Produce High-Quality Serum IgG to Putative Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Vaccine Antigens at Lower Titres Compared to Non-Aboriginal Children

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is the most common bacterial otopathogen associated with otitis media (OM). NTHi persists in biofilms within the middle ears of children with chronic and recurrent OM. Australian Aboriginal children suffer exceptionally high rates of chronic and recurrent OM compared to non-Aboriginal children.

Research

Early detection of hearing loss for infants in Western Australia: Comparison to international benchmarks

To assess the degree to which timely audiological assessment of congenital hearing loss is achieved at our institution - Perth Children's Hospital, Western Australia, and to review cases which breached this timeframe in order to address barriers to timely assessment. The benchmark used to determine timely assessment is that set out by The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) in which diagnostic audiological testing occurs by three months of age for those who do not pass newborn hearing screening.

Research

Common and Rare Genetic Variants That Could Contribute to Severe Otitis Media in an Australian Aboriginal Population

Our goal was to identify genetic risk factors for severe otitis media (OM) in Aboriginal Australians.