“Assessing the aetiology of measles disease and measles-like illness in Uganda”
Country of Study
Uganda
Institution
Makerere University
Expected Year of Completion
2025
Thematic Area
Life and Health Sciences
Education
Prossy’s PhD is in Veterinary Medicine, Animal resources and Biosecurity at Makerere University. She works as a Laboratory Scientist at the Uganda Virus Research Institute. Prossy holds an MSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the same institution and is expected to complete her studies in 2025.
Research Summary
Measles and Measles-like illness (MLI) are characterised by fever, a rash, and either conjunctivitis, coughing or coryza. Causes of measles-like illness include measles virus itself and other viral pathogens such as parvovirus B19, rubella, human herpes virus 6, Adenovirus, enteroviruses, and other emerging and re-emerging viruses. Surveillance for measles in Uganda is based on clinical symptoms and has been noted in thousands of patients. A large proportion of people with MLI do not have serological evidence of measles, including those who have been vaccinated. As such, Prossy’s research focuses on identifying the viral causes of MLI using metagenomic next generation sequencing (M-NGS) to reveal emerging and re-emerging viruses. Unravelling these viruses will enable researchers to develop rapid diagnostic tests and possibly vaccines to inform necessary interventions to handle such viral infections before they turn into pandemics. Data indicates that over 60% cases with MLI symptoms are negative for measles specific IgM antibodies. Prossy’s full measles genome sequencing will result in robust data and sequencing methods for measles cases functioning locally as well as identifying and developing the bioinformatics tools required for assembling full measles virus genomes and documenting their important features. The study will inform researchers and policy makers on the nature of the measles genotype circulating in Uganda.
Publications:
1. Near-Complete Genome Sequences of Measles Virus Strains from 10 Years of Uganda Country-wide Surveillance
2. Phylogenetic analysis of rubella viruses identified in Uganda, 2003-2012
3. Descriptive epidemiology of rubella disease and associated virus strains in Uganda
