Mate Veitauvi (Infectious Disease)

Na cava na mate veitauvi? (What is an infectious disease?)

Na mate veitauvi sa koya na tauvimate e vakavuna na manumanu me vaka na virasi ‘bacteria’, faqasi, kei na ‘parasites’. Eso na kena ivakaraitaki na COVID-19, matetaka, misila kei na mate ni gacagaca. E sivia e 17 na milioni na tamata e veiyasai vuravura e veiyabaki era mate e na mate veitauvi ka rawa ni vakavuna na mate rerevaki eso e sega ni tiko vei keda na veiqaravi me kena wali.

An infectious disease is an illness caused by germs such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Some examples are COVID-19, influenza, measles and tuberculosis. Infectious diseases kill over 17 million people worldwide each year and can cause pandemics as well as many diseases for which we have no specific treatments available.

Na cava e bibi kina? (Why does it matter?)

E tauvi Aotearoa na mate veitauvi ka sa ravuti ena so tale na vanua torocake ena vuravura, vakabibi na mate eso ka vakavuna na “streptococcus”, me vaka na mate na “rheumatic fever”. E vuqa vei ira na mate oqo e veilutuyaki na kena I wiliwili ni veitauvi kivei ira na Māori kei na Pasifika, ka levu cake na kena ripotetaki na mate me vaka na “influenza” kei na COVID-19 ni vakatauvatani kei na veimataqali mata tamata tale eso e Aotearoa.

Aotearoa suffers from very high rates of infectious diseases that have been conquered elsewhere in the developed world, especially diseases resulting from streptococcus infection, such as acute rheumatic fever. Many of these infections disproportionately affect our Maori and Pacific populations, with more severe case rates reported for diseases such as influenza and COVID-19 compared to other ethnic groups in Aotearoa.

Na cava e cakava na Maurice Wilkins Centre me valuta kina na mate veitauvi? (What does the Maurice Wilkins Centre do to combat infectious diseases?)

Na neitou vakadidike e vakanamata ki na mate veitauvi eso me vaka na veidewavi ni mate ka vakavuna na “bacteria”, okati kina na mate ni gacagaca, “staphylococcus” kei na “streptococcus” ka vakakina na vakadidike ena “viral” me tokona na noda rawa ni sotava na mate e so e vakavuna na “viruses” ca me vaka na SARS-CoV-2 (na “virus”  ka vakavuna na COVID-19).

Our research focuses on a range of infectious diseases such as bacterial infections, including tuberculosis, staphylococcus and streptococcus as well as viral research to support our capability in responding to the threats posed by viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).

Keitou vakataroga se cava e rawa kina vei eso na “bacteria” me vakadruka na tataqomaki ena yago ni tamata, eda vakadikeva na wainimate ni veitaqomaki na “antimicrobial drugs” se vakacava na kena rawa ni vakadeitaki koya rawa, e kunei duadua ga ena DNA ni Māori kei na Pasifika e tara na noda ivakarau tataqomaki ni bula ni yago se na sala eda sotava kina na mate veitauvi.

We ask why some bacteria can defeat the human immune system, we investigate potential antimicrobial drugs, and if unique adaptations seen only in the DNA of Maori and Pacific populations affects our immune system or how we respond to infectious diseases.