Mahaki pipihi (Infectious Disease)

Ko e ha e mahaki pipihi? (What is an infectious disease?)

Ko e mahaki pipihi ‘oku fakatupu ia ‘e he siemu ‘o hangē ko e vailasi, pakitelia (bacteria), talingelinga pe tu’ungafulufulua (Fungi) mo ha toe me’amo’ui kainikavea (parasites). Ko e  COVID-19, fulū, mīselé, mo e TB,  ko e ngaahi mahaki pipihi kotoa ia.   ‘Oku toko 17 miliona tupu ‘a e kakai 'i māmani kātoa ‘oku nau mate 'i he mahaki pipihi 'i he ta’u pea ‘oku ne fakatupu foki mo e mo e ngaahi mahaki faka’auha (pandemics) pea mo ha ngaahi mahaki pipihi ‘oku te’eki ma’u hano faito’o.

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.

Ko e ha hono mahu’inga? (Why does it matter?)

‘Oku lahi fau e mofele 'i Aotearoa ni ‘a e ngaahi mahaki pipihi ‘oku si’isi’i ke toe ‘asi he ngaahi fonua tu’umālie  'i tu’apule’angá, ‘o hangē ko e mofihui ‘a ia  ‘oku  fakatupu ‘e he pakitelia ko e Streptococcus. ‘Oku lahi ange ‘a hono uesia ‘e he ngaahi mahaki pipihí ni ‘a e kakai Maori mo Pasifikí pea ‘oku nau toe puke lahi ange 'i ha‘anau pihia he fulú mo e COVID-19 'i hono fakahoa mo e ngaahi matakali kehe 'i 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 Māori and Pacific populations, with more severe case rates reported for diseases such as influenza and COVID-19 compared to other ethnic groups in Aotearoa.

Ko e ha e fatongia e Maurice Wilkins Centre ki hono fakafepaki’i e ngaahi mahaki pipihi? (What does the Maurice Wilkins Centre do to combat infectious diseases?)

‘Oku fakatafataha ‘emau ngaahi fakatotolo ‘oku fakahokó ki he ngaahi mahaki ‘oku fakatupu ‘e he pakitelia (bacteria) ‘o kau ai e tuberculosis, staphylococcus pea mo e streptococcus. ‘Oku kau foki ‘i heni e fakatotolo ki he ngaahi vailasi kehekehe ke ‘ilo e ngaahi me’a ‘oku tonu ke tau fai 'i ha hoko ha to’umahaki ‘oku fakatupu ‘e ha vailasi ‘o hangē ko e SARS-CoV-2 (vailasi ‘oku ne fakatupu ‘a e Koviti-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).

‘Oku mau fakafehu’ia e ‘uhinga ‘oku malohi ange ai ‘a e pakitelia ni’ihi ia 'i he ngaahi naunau malu'i ‘o e sinó mei ha mahaki (immune system) , ‘o mau fekumi ai ki ha ngaahi faito’o kene ta’ota’ofi, pea mo vakai'i pe ‘oku hoko ‘a e ngaahi tō’onga makehe ko ia 'i he DNA ‘o e kakai Maori mo e Pasifiki ke ne uesia ‘a e naunau ‘oku ne malu'i ‘a e sino mei ha mahaki pe ko ‘etau lava ke malu'i kitautolu mei he ngaahi mahaki pipihí.

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 Māori and Pacific populations affects our immune system or how we respond to infectious diseases.