Sepsis North Queensland
Tackling infections in remote communities.
Remote and Indigenous communities, like those in North Queensland, experience higher rates of death and illness as a result of serious infectious diseases.
Patients are often unable to access medical care quickly, so life-threatening infections like sepsis are more prevalent. This is because diagnosing infections and treating them with the correct antibiotics is often delayed. Far North Queensland is also vulnerable to emerging infectious diseases from the Indo-Pacific region.
This project will use genomic sequencing to identify bacteria within hours—not days. Identifying emerging bacteria quickly will allow health services to better prepare for developing health threats, and to treat patients more effectively, sooner.
This is a clinical innovation project, which explores new applications of medical genomics in clinical practice.
Project Investigators
Project leaders engage with and draw upon the expertise of partners within universities, research institutes and hospital and health services around Queensland.
Professor Emma McBryde, James Cook University (lead)
Professor Damon Eisen, Townsville Hospital and Health Service
Dr Robert Norton, Townsville Hospital and Health Service
Dr Chris Heather, Townsville Hospital and Health Service
Dr Richard Stone, Townsville Hospital and Health Service
Dr Luke Lawton, Townsville Hospital and Health Service
Dr Enzo Binotto, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Services
other infectious disease projects
