Investigating the etiology of acute febrile illness: a prospective clinic-based study in Uganda.

Background: Historically, malaria has been the predominant cause of acute febrile illness (AFI) in sub-Saharan Africa. However, during the last two decades, malaria incidence has declined due to concerted public health control efforts, including the widespread use of rapid diagnostic tests leading to increased recognition of non-malarial AFI etiologies. Our understanding of non-malarial AFI is limited due to lack of laboratory diagnostic capacity.

The epidemiology of rotavirus disease in under-five-year-old children hospitalized with acute diarrhea in central Uganda, 2012-2013.

A cross-sectional study was undertaken during 2012-2013 to determine the prevalence, strains and factors associated with rotavirus infection among under-5-year-old children hospitalized with acute diarrhea in Uganda. Rotaviruses were detected in 37 % (263/712) of the children. The most prevalent strains were G9P[8] (27 %, 55/204) and G12P[4] (18.

Vitamin D deficiency and its characteristics among patients with acute stroke at a national referral hospital in Kampala Uganda.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with acute stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in the developed world. Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) has been described in some populations in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in spite of adequate sunshine all year round. There is no information on the magnitude of vitamin D deficiency among patients with stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in Uganda or SSA.

Prevalence and factors associated with traditional herbal medicine use among patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Uganda.

Background: In Africa, herbal medicines are often used as primary treatment for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related problems. Concurrent use of traditional herbal medicines (THM) with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) is widespread among HIV infected patients. However, the extent of THM use is not known in most settings in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The effect of AIDS defining conditions on immunological recovery among patients initiating antiretroviral therapy at Joint Clinical Research Centre, Uganda.

Background: Many HIV-infected patients only access health care once they have developed advanced symptomatic disease resulting from AIDS Defining Conditions (ADCs). We carried out a study to establish the effect of ADCs on immunological recovery among patients initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 427 HIV-1 patients who were initiated on ART between January 2002 and December 2006 was studied.