Paediatrics (RCH) - Research Publications
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ItemThe burden of hospitalised rotavirus infections in Fiji(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2009-11-20)Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute severe dehydrating diarrhoea in young children worldwide. We describe the burden of rotavirus disease and the rotavirus types causing it in the largest city in Fiji. During 2006 and 2007, 592 children under 5 years of age were admitted to hospital in Suva, Fiji with acute diarrhoea. Of the 454 children for whom a stool specimen was tested, 39% were positive for rotavirus and the predominant strain found was the serotype G3[P8]. There is a significant burden of disease due to rotavirus in Fiji and the introduction of rotavirus vaccines into the national immunization schedule may drastically reduce inpatient diarrhoeal disease.
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ItemImmunogenicity following one, two, or three doses of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2009-09-18)The aim was to identify an appropriate infant pneumococcal vaccination strategy for resource poor countries. Fijian infants received zero, one, two, or three doses of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in early infancy. Following three PCV doses, geometric mean concentration (GMC) to all seven serotypes were > or = 1.0 microg/mL, and >85% of children achieved antibody levels > or = 0.35 microg/mL at 18 weeks. Following two doses, GMC were lower for 6B, 14, and 23F, but higher for 19F compared with three doses. Following a single dose, significant responses were seen for all serotypes post-primary series compared with the unvaccinated. By 12 months, differences between two and three doses persisted for serotype 14 only. Although GMC following three doses are higher than after two doses, the differences were small. A single dose may offer some protection for most serotypes.
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ItemFirst Report of Putative Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 6D among Nasopharyngeal Isolates from Fijian Children(OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC, 2009-11-01)BACKGROUND: A putative Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype, 6D, resulting from the introduction of wciN(beta) into serotype 6B has been proposed. METHODS: We studied 98 unique serogroup 6 isolates from Fijian children, two-thirds of whom had received at least 1 dose of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and 51 invasive isolates from Australian children. We used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system that targets both wciN(beta) and the single-nucleotide polymorphism that differentiates serotypes 6A and 6B-wciP584g (6A) and wciP584a (6B). RESULTS: Two (9%) of 22 Australian isolates and 24 (38%) of 64 Fijian isolates previously identified as 6A by the Quellung reaction and wciP584g PCR contained wciN(beta) and were designated as 6C; 14 (41%) of 34 Fijian isolates previously identified as 6B by the Quellung reaction and wciP584a PCR contained wciN(beta) and were designated as the new putative serotype 6D. A significantly smaller proportion of children from whom serotype 6D was isolated (2/14 [14%]) had not received PCV-7, compared with the proportion of those from whom serotype 6B was isolated (11/20 [55%]) (P < .05). CONCLUSION: This is the first report of naturally occurring S. pneumoniae serotype 6D.