Strep A Throat Assessment and Rapid Treatment (START) Project
Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) are entirely preventable and yet remain endemic in resource-limited settings. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in remote areas disproportionately bear some of the highest rates of ARF and RHD worldwide.
Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) throat infections are a well-known cause of ARF/ RHD. However, presentations for sore throats are uncommon, and when a child presents with a sore throat, it is difficult for a clinician to know if it is caused by Strep A or more commonly a virus, without a diagnostic test.
The Strep A Throat Assessment and Rapid Treatment (START) demonstration project aims to implement a new approach for detection and treatment of Strep A in the throat. The project involves health service staff offering a culturally appropriate checklist to 5-15 year olds to detect sore throats, followed by molecular point-of-care (POC) testing - the same platform as for STIs and respiratory infections. The project is being undertaken in partnership with 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health services. This approach was designed collaboratively with stakeholders and will be conducted under a research framework alongside enhanced RHD prevention activities. The aim of the model is to optimise the detection and treatment of Strep A in the throat and builds on recent evidence that most sore throats are undetected and untreated
Led by Professor Asha Bowen (The Kids Research Institute Australia), START will evaluate the benefits of the new approach including its effectiveness, acceptability, barriers, facilitators, and cost-effectiveness.
For more information, please contact Lauren Cooney, lcooney@kirby.unsw.edu.au
