Scientists start rheumatic fever trials SCIENTISTS have started human trials of a rheumatic fever vaccine after 20 years of research by an Australian professor. Parts of Australia have world-record rates of the disease, which starts with a bacterial infection and can seriously damage the heart. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd suffered rheumatic fever as a child and has twice had surgery to repair damage to his heart. The vaccine has been developed over more than 20 years by Professor Michael Good from Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics and scientists at The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR). Infection rates in remote indigenous communities in Queensland are among the highest in the world. Nine out of 10 people affected in this state are indigenous," Prof Good said on Tuesday. The vaccine is aimed at preventing infection with Streptococcus A, the germ that causes rheumatic fever. Animal studies have shown the vaccine makes the immune system produce antibodies that kill the germ. "Previous studies have shown the vaccine induces a very effective immune response in rabbits and mice," Prof Good said. The next important step is to ensure it is safe and does not cause any adverse effects in people, in particular that the vaccine itself doesn't cause any heart damage. The head of QIMR's infectious diseases program, Professor James McCarthy, will lead the year-long trial of 20 healthy adults in Brisbane. "Participants will be monitored very closely for the next 12 months," Prof McCarthy said.