Clinical and Genomic Aspects of Staphylococcus Aureus and Other Infectious Diseases in Northern Australia

Preventing early childhood transmission of hepatitis B in remote aboriginal communities in Northern Australia

RP Sullivan, J Davies, P Binks, M McKinnon, RG Dhurrkay, K Hosking, SM Bukulatjpi, S Locarnini, M Littlejohn, K Jackson, SYC Tong, JS Davis

2022-12-01

Background: Chronic hepatitis B is a public health concern in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory of Australia with p..

Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology of an Emerging Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-Positive ST5 Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clone in Northern Australia

SL McGuinness, DC Holt, TM Harris, C Wright, R Baird, PM Giffard, AC Bowen, SSYC Tong

2021-01-01

Recently, we identified a Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 5 (ST5) clone in northern Australia with discrepant trimethoprim-sul..

Epidemiological consequences of enduring strain-specific immunity requiring repeated episodes of infection

RH Chisholm, N Sonenberg, JA Lacey, MI McDonald, M Pandey, MR Davies, SYC Tong, J McVernon, N Geard

2020-06-01

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) skin infections are caused by a diverse array of strain types and are highly prevalent in disadvantage..

A Scenario-Based Survey of Expert Echocardiography Recommendations for Patients with Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia at Varying Risk for Endocarditis

GS Heriot, SYC Tong, AC Cheng, D Liew

2020-04-09

Importance: Echocardiography to detect infective endocarditis is regarded as a key quality indicator in the care of patients with ..

Point of care and oral fluid hepatitis B testing in remote Indigenous communities of northern Australia

RP Sullivan, J Davies, P Binks, RG Dhurrkay, GG Gurruwiwi, SM Bukulatjpi, M McKinnon, K Hosking, M Littlejohn, K Jackson, S Locarnini, JS Davis, SYC Tong

2020-04-01

Many Indigenous Australians in northern Australia living with chronic hepatitis B are unaware of their diagnosis due to low screen..

Benzylpenicillin versus flucloxacillin for penicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections from a large retrospective cohort study

A Henderson, P Harris, G Hartel, D Paterson, J Turnidge, JS Davis, SYC Tong

2019-10-01

In clinical practice, differing opinions exists regarding the optimal management of patients with penicillin-susceptible Staphyloc..

Early transthoracic echocardiography has useful prognostic value in left-sided native valve endocarditis despite limited diagnostic performance

GS Heriot, A Newcomb, J Darby, A Wilson, SYC Tong, AC Cheng, D Liew

2019-08-01

To investigate the prognostic implications of findings on early transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in patients with definite lef..

An urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship in Indigenous rural and remote primary health care

AC Bowen, K Daveson, L Anderson, SYC Tong

2019-07-01

Tracing Ancient Human Migrations into Sahul Using Hepatitis B Virus Genomes

LKW Yuen, M Littlejohn, S Duchêne, R Edwards, S Bukulatjpi, P Binks, K Jackson, J Davies, JS Davis, SYC Tong, S Locarnini

2019-05-01

The entry point and timing of ancient human migration into continental Sahul (the combined landmass of Australia, New Guinea, and ..

Benefit of Echocardiography in Patients with Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia at Low Risk of Endocarditis

GS Heriot, SYC Tong, AC Cheng, D Liew

2018-12-01

Background. The risk of endocarditis among patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is not uniform, and a number of differen..

Gene exchange drives the ecological success of a multi-host bacterial pathogen

EJ Richardson, R Bacigalupe, EM Harrison, LA Weinert, S Lycett, M Vrieling, K Robb, PA Hoskisson, MTG Holden, EJ Feil, GK Paterson, SYC Tong, A Shittu, W van Wamel, DM Aanensen, J Parkhill, SJ Peacock, J Corander, M Holmes, JR Fitzgerald

2018-09-01

The capacity for some pathogens to jump into different host-species populations is a major threat to public health and food securi..

A large retrospective cohort study of cefazolin compared with flucloxacillin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia

JS Davis, J Turnidge, SYC Tong

2018-08-01

Background and objectives: Antistaphylococcal penicillins (ASPs) are recommended as first-line treatment for invasive infections c..

Contaminated fingers: A potential cause of Chlamydia trachomatis- positive urine specimens

PM Giffard, RA Lilliebridge, J Wilson, G Murray, S Phillips, SN Tabrizi, SM Garland, L Martin, G Singh, SYC Tong, DC Holt, P Andersson

2018-02-01

Objectives The detection of an STI agent in a urogenital tract (UGT) specimen from a young child is regarded as being indicative o..

Implications of asymptomatic carriers for infectious disease transmission and control

RH Chisholm, PT Campbell, Y Wu, SYC Tong, J McVernon, N Geard

2018-02-01

For infectious pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae, some hosts may carry the pathogen and transmi..

Clinical variation in the use of echocardiography in staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: A multi-centre cohort study

GS Heriot, SYC Tong, AC Cheng, I Thevarajan, MR Levinson, K Visvanathan, D Liew

2018-01-01

© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018. The objective of this investigation was to assess whether between-ho..

Genome-wide analysis of genetic risk factors for rheumatic heart disease in aboriginal australians provides support for pathogenic molecular mimicry

LA Gray, HA D'Antoine, SYC Tong, M McKinnon, D Bessarab, N Brown, B Reményi, A Steer, G Syn, JM Blackwell, M Inouye, JR CarapeThis

2017-12-01

Background. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) afer group A streptococcus (GAS) infections is heritable and prevalent in Indigenous pop..

Proposed primary endpoints for use in clinical trials that compare treatment options for bloodstream infection in adults: a consensus definition

PNA Harris, JF McNamara, DL Paterson, DC Lye, JS Davis, SYC Tong, L Bernard, AC Cheng, Y Doi, VG Fowler, KS Kaye, L Leibovici, J Lipman, MJ Llewelyn, S Munoz-Price, M Paul, AY Peleg, BA Rogers, J Rodríguez-Baño, H Seifert

2017-08-01

Objectives To define standardized endpoints to aid the design of trials that compare antibiotic therapies for bloodstream infectio..

A double-blind randomized controlled trial of ibuprofen compared to placebo for uncomplicated cellulitis of the upper or lower limb

JS Davis, C Mackrow, P Binks, W Fletcher, P Dettwiller, C Marshall, J Day, W Pratt, SYC Tong

2017-04-01

Objectives Cellulitis is a common skin infection resulting in inflammation that may take weeks to resolve despite appropriate anti..

Bacteremia, sepsis, and infective endocarditis associated with Staphylococcus aureus

SP Bergin, TL Holland, VG Fowler, SYC Tong

2017-01-01

Bacteremia and infective endocarditis (IE) are important causes of morbidity and mortality associated with Staphylococcus aureus i..

Criteria for Identifying Patients with Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia Who Are at Low Risk of Endocarditis: A Systematic Review

GS Heriot, K Cronin, SYC Tong, AC Cheng, D Liew

2017-01-01

This systematic review examines the methods and results of recent studies reporting clinical criteria able to identify patients wi..

Indigenous Australian household structure: A simple data collection tool and implications for close contact transmission of communicable diseases

T Vino, GR Singh, B Davison, PT Campbell, MJ Lydeamore, A Robinson, J McVernon, SYC Tong, N Geard

2017-01-01

Households are an important location for the transmission of communicable diseases. Social contact between household members is ty..

Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (Cotrimoxazole) for Skin and Soft Tissue Infections including Impetigo, Cellulitis, and Abscess

AC Bowen, JR Carapetis, BJ Currie, V Fowler, HF Chambers, SYC Tong

2017-01-01

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) affect millions of people globally, which represents a significant burden on ambulatory car..

Whole genome sequencing to investigate a putative outbreak of the virulent community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST93 clone in a remote Indigenous community

EM Meumann, P Andersson, F Yeaman, S Oldfield, R Lilliebridge, SD Bentley, V Krause, M Beaman, BJ Currie, DC Holt, PM Giffard, SYC Tong

2016-12-01

We report two cases of severe pneumonia due to clone ST93 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presenting from a rem..

Whole genome sequencing reveals extensive community-level transmission of group A Streptococcus in remote communities

AC Bowen, T Harris, DC Holt, PM Giffard, JR Carapetis, PT Campbell, J McVernon, SYC Tong

2016-07-01

Impetigo is common in remote Indigenous children of northern Australia, with the primary driver in this context being Streptococcu..

Towards identification of immune and genetic correlates of severe influenza disease in Indigenous Australians

EB Clemens, EJ Grant, Z Wang, S Gras, P Tipping, J Rossjohn, A Miller, SYC Tong, K Kedzierska

2016-04-01

Indigenous populations, including Indigenous Australians, are highly susceptible to severe influenza disease and the underlying me..

Chlamydia trachomatis from Australian Aboriginal people with trachoma are polyphyletic composed of multiple distinctive lineages

P Andersson, SR Harris, HMBS Smith, J Hadfield, C O'Neill, LT Cutcliffe, FP Douglas, LV Asche, JD Mathews, SI Hutton, DS Sarovich, SYC Tong, IN Clarke, NR Thomson, PM Giffard

2016-02-25

Chlamydia trachomatis causes sexually transmitted infections and the blinding disease trachoma. Current data on C. trachomatis phy..

Differing epidemiology of two major healthcare-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clones

CJ Jeremiah, JP Kandiah, DW Spelman, PM Giffard, GW Coombs, AW Jenney, SY Tong

2016-02-01

Background: Two meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones, sequence type (ST) 22 and ST239, have successfully sprea..

Reduction in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia rates in patients receiving haemodialysis following alteration of skin antisepsis procedures

BJ Stewart, T Gardiner, GJ Perry, SYC Tong

2016-02-01

This study examined all cases of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) in the haemodialysis cohort at the Royal Darwin Hospital,..

Combination of Vancomycin and β-Lactam Therapy for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Pilot Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

JS Davis, A Sud, MVN O'Sullivan, JO Robinson, PE Ferguson, H Foo, SJ Van Hal, AP Ralph, BP Howden, PM Binks, A Kirby, SYC Tong, S Majumdar, R Baird, C Gordon, C Jeremiah, G Leung, A Brischetto, A Crowe, F Dakh

2016-01-15

Background. In vitro laboratory and animal studies demonstrate a synergistic role for the combination of vancomycin and antistaphy..

CAMERA2 - combination antibiotic therapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

SYC Tong, J Nelson, DL Paterson, VG Fowler, BP Howden, AC Cheng, M Chatfield, J Lipman, S Van Hal, M O'Sullivan, JO Robinson, D Yahav, D Lye, JS Davis

2016-01-01

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia is a serious infection resulting in 20-50 % 90-day mort..

Chlamydia trachomatis genotypes in a cross-sectional study of urogenital samples from remote Northern and central Australia

PM Giffard, NC Brenner, SN Tabrizi, SM Garland, DC Holt, P Andersson, RA Lilliebridge, SYC Tong, M Karimi, P Boylan, N Ryder, T Johns, G Singh

2016-01-01

Objectives: The objective was to determine the frequency of trachoma genotypes of Chlamydia trachomatis-positive urogenital tract ..

Staphylococcus aureus infections following knee and hip prosthesis insertion procedures

JM Arduino, KS Kaye, SD Reed, SA Peter, DJ Sexton, LF Chen, NC Hardy, SYC Tong, SS Smugar, VG Fowler, DJ Anderson

2015-12-14

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is the most common and most important pathogen following knee and hip arthroplasty procedures. U..

Reduced in vitro activity of ceftaroline by Etest among clonal complex 239 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical strains from Australia

IJ Abbott, AWJ Jenney, CJ Jeremiah, M Mirčeta, JP Kandiah, DC Holt, SYC Tong, DW Spelman

2015-12-01

A total of 421 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical isolates were tested for ceftaroline susceptibility by ..

The role of Staphylococcal carotenogenesis in resistance to host defense peptides and in vivo virulence in experimental endocarditis model

YQ Xiong, SJ Yang, SYC Tong, DN Alvarez, NN Mishra

2015-10-01

The defining hallmark of the newly described species, Staphylococcus argenteus, in comparison to its sister species, S. aureus and..

The global epidemiology of impetigo: A systematic review of the population prevalence of impetigo and pyoderma

AC Bowen, A Mahé, RJ Hay, RM Andrews, AC Steer, SYC Tong, JR Carapetis

2015-08-28

Objective: We conducted a comprehensive, systematic review of the global childhood population prevalence of impetigo and the broad..

Single-molecule sequencing reveals the molecular basis of multidrug-resistance in ST772 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

EJ Steinig, P Andersson, SR Harris, DS Sarovich, A Manoharan, P Coupland, MTG Holden, J Parkhill, SD Bentley, DA Robinson, SYC Tong

2015-05-16

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of hospital-associated infection, but there is gro..

Progressive increase in community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Indigenous populations in northern Australia from 1993 to 2012

SYC Tong, L Varrone, MD Chatfield, M Beaman, PM Giffard

2015-05-06

Hospital-based studies have determined high rates of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in In..

Genome sequencing defines phylogeny and spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a high transmission setting

SYC Tong, MTG Holden, EK Nickerson, BS Cooper, CU Koser, A Cori, T Jombart, S Cauchemez, C Fraser, V Wuthiekanun, J Thaipadungpanit, M Hongsuwan, NP Day, D Limmathurotsakul, J Parkhill, SJ Peacock

2015-01-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of nosocomial infection. Whole-genome sequencing of MRSA has b..

Novel staphylococcal species that form part of a Staphylococcus aureus-related complex: the non-pigmented Staphylococcus argenteus sp. nov. and the non-human primate-associated Staphylococcus schweitzeri sp. nov

SYC Tong, F Schaumburg, MJ Ellington, J Corander, B Pichon, F Leendertz, SD Bentley, J Parkhill, DC Holt, G Peters, PM Giffard

2015-01-01

We define two novel species of the genus Staphylococcus that are phenotypically similar to and have near identical 16S rRNA gene s..

Staphylococcus aureus infections: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management

SYC Tong, JS Davis, E Eichenberger, TL Holland, VG Fowler

2015-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that causes a wide range of clinical infections. It is a leading cause of bacterem..

Short-course oral co-trimoxazole versus intramuscular benzathine benzylpenicillin for impetigo in a highly endemic region: An open-label, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial

AC Bowen, SYC Tong, RM Andrews, IM O'Meara, MI McDonald, MD Chatfield, BJ Currie, JR Carapetis

2014-12-13

Background Impetigo affects more than 110 million children worldwide at any one time. The major burden of disease is in developing..

Standardising and assessing digital images for use in clinical trials: A practical, reproducible method that blinds the assessor to treatment allocation

AC Bowen, K Burns, SYC Tong, RM Andrews, R Liddle, IM O'Meara, DW Westphal, JR Carapetis

2014-11-06

With the increasing availability of high quality digital cameras that are easily operated by the non-professional photographer, th..

The microbiology of impetigo in indigenous children: associations between Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, scabies, and nasal carriage

AC Bowen, SYC Tong, MD Chatfield, JR Carapetis

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Impetigo is caused by both Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus; the relative contributions of each have b..