Rick Speare is an Infectious Disease Specialist in Townsville, QLD, Australia. He works from the local area and helps people deal with a range of infections that can be tricky to get right, especially when symptoms keep coming back or don’t match what you’d expect.
Infectious disease care is often about finding the cause. Over time, Rick’s work focuses on conditions like helminth infections (worms), including strongyloidiasis and other helminth problems such as angiostrongyliasis. He also looks at rhabditida and secernentea infections, which are types of worm-related illnesses.
Some patients come in because of gut symptoms. In many cases this includes things like eosinophilic enteropathy and gastritis. At times, these issues can be linked to ongoing infection, so getting the right diagnosis matters. Rick also supports people with head lice and other infectious skin or hair conditions, where treatment may need to be planned carefully for what’s happening at the time.
There are also situations that involve serious viral infections. Rick has experience supporting patients with Ebola Virus Disease, where early assessment and a clear treatment plan are important for safety and good outcomes.
Day to day experience in infectious disease means thinking through travel history, exposure risks, and how symptoms fit together. Rick takes a practical approach, with a focus on testing when it helps and making treatment feel manageable. This includes talking through what to watch for as things settle down, and what to do if symptoms don’t improve as expected.
Education and training are in infectious diseases, with ongoing learning that keeps pace with how infections are recognised and treated. For research, the aim is simple: use the best available evidence to guide decisions, especially for conditions that are not always straightforward.
When it comes to clinical trials, options can be discussed if they are relevant to a person’s situation. The main goal stays the same—helping patients get clear next steps and support through the process.