Welcome

Welcome to the information page for Australia. Here you can find information about the Australian Herpes Management Forum (AHMF).

Mission statement

To improve the awareness, understanding, management and control of herpesvirus infections in Australia.

Objective

• To develop practical, patient focused resources and guidelines for the management and control of herpesvirus infections in Australia.

• To disseminate this information to patients, clinicians, public health organisations and governments.

• To raise awareness of the impact of herpesvirus infections on society.

• To encourage debate, exchange of ideas and the development of consensus regarding the management and control of herpesvirus infections.

The AHMF board

Professor Adrian Mindel is Professor of Sexual Health Medicine, University of Sydney and Director of the Sexually Transmitted Infections Research Centre, Westmead Hospital. He has considerable experience of both the clinical and psychological management of patients with herpes and is frequently invited to lecture on the subject. His knowledge of the area is reflected by his presence on several advisory boards for sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, and the Editorial Board of Herpes, the journal of the International Herpes Management Forum (IHMF^®).

Professor Tony Cunningham is Director, Westmead Millennium Institute and Research Centre, Westmead Hospital and Professor of Research Medicine and Sub-Dean (research) Western Clinical School, the University of Sydney. He has held a number of clinical and academic appointments in virology and infectious diseases, both in Australia and in the USA. He was appointed Associate Professor of Virology/Medicine in the University of Sydney, Department of Medicine in 1989. He joined the Board of the Children's Medical Research Institute as the nominee of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney in 1996. In 2001 he was appointed Deputy Director and in 2002 Co-ordinator (Director) of the National Centre for HIV Virology Research. His research interests focus on viral medicine, especially basic biology pathogenesis, seroepidemiology, diagnosis and anti-viral treatment of HIV and herpesvirus infections. He has particular clinical research interests in the epidemiology of HSV-2 and the development of new antivirals and vaccines for genital herpes.

Associate Professor Suzanne Garland is Director of Microbiological Research and Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Women's Hospital, Senior Consultant in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Women's and Royal Children's Hospitals, Women's and Children's Health. She is also a practicing Sexual Health Physician.
As one of Victoria's leading Clinical Microbiologists, Professor Garland is well known for her research on infectious diseases, particularly in relation to women's and babies' health.

Dr Joe Sasadeusz is an infectious diseases physician primarily based at the Royal Melbourne Hospital with cross appointments at the Alfred Hospital and the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in Melbourne, Australia. He undertook his basic medical training at Monash University Melbourne, which was followed by advanced training in general medicine then infectious diseases training in Melbourne. He then moved to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver Canada, where he completed a Ph.D. in the area of herpes simplex virus antiviral resistance under the supervision of Professor Stephen Sacks. Joe has an interest in chronic viral hepatitis with a particular focus on confection of HIV with hepatitis viruses. He has an attachment to the Bone Marrow Transplant Service at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he has a specific interest in viral infections in bone marrow transplant recipients.

Dr Dominic Dwyer is the medical virologist and an infectious diseases physician at Westmead Hospital in Sydney. He trained at St Vincent's and Westmead Hospitals, and undertook postgraduate research at the Institute Pasteur in Paris, France. He has a clinical and research interest in viral diseases of public health importance (including herpes viruses and HIV) and in new antiviral drugs and vaccines. He is a member of various Commonwealth, NHMRC and State committees, including the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia and the Public Health Laboratory Network.

Current activities and future plans

The AHMF is currently writing three new sets of guidelines for the management and treatment of herpes virus infections. These are:

• Guidelines for herpesvirus infections of the eye

• Diagnosis of genital herpes

• Guidelines on glandular fever for general practitioners.

The AHMF has also undertaken a substantial public relations campaign to raise awareness of the AHMF amongst health professionals, in particular general practitioners. This successful programme has helped to position the AHMF as a leading source of information regarding herpes infections.

AHMF publications

Guidelines have been produced for general practitioners to assist in the management of the following areas:

• Genital herpes

• Herpes zoster

• Oral herpes

• Type-specific testing guidelines

• Herpes simplex in pregnancy

• Counselling and communication skills for general practitioners.

A medical resource kit is available to house the guidelines.

The AHMF is currently working on the development of new guidelines in other areas of herpesvirus management (see current activities).

The AHMF has also produced a corporate brochure outlining the work of the AHMF and its publications. The brochure has a tear-off section for health professionals to join the AHMF database and receive future publications.

An AHMF display poster has been produced for use in conference displays.