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Dr Herbert Itabangi

Call Career Development Fellowship (CDF)
Programme EDCTP2
Start Date 2020-10-01
End Date 2023-09-30
Project Code TMA2019CDF-2789
Status Active

Title

Metabolic and molecular ecological evolution of opportunistic pulmonary fungal co-infections (MeMoF)

Host Organisation

Institution Country
Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Uganda

Current Organisation

Mbarara University of science and technology

Current Job Title

Research Fellow

Awards

2020

Students Supervised

Type Name Title University Start Date End Date
Master of Science Kiiza Israel Njovu PULMONARY MYCOSES DIAGNOSED FROM SPUTUM SPECIMENS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH CLINICAL SIGNS OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS AT MBARARA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL Mbarara University of Science and Technology 2019 2021
Master of science Guti Walker ASSESSMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY, BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL CONTAMINANTS OF COMMON HERBAL MEDICINAL REMEDIES IN MBARARA DISTRICT, SOUTH WESTERN UGANDA Mbarara University of Science and Technology 2020 2021
Master of science Kumureeba Lauben ELUCIDATING THE IMPACT OF BACTERIAL SYMBIOSIS ON THE VIRULENCE OF FUNGI ISOLATED AT MBARARA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL Mbarara University of Sceince and Technology 2020 2022
Master of Science Pauline Petra Nalumaga Phenotypic and genetic diversity of antifungal resistant candida species associated with Vulvo-Viginal Candidiasis Mbarara university of Science and Technology 2021 2022
Master of Science Thomas Ssemakadde Hetero-resistance to common anti-fungals used against yeast isolates at Mbarara regional referral hospital Mbarara University of Science and Technology 2021 2022
PhD Benson Musingunzi MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF CANDIDA SPECIES CAUSING OROPHARYNGEAL CANDIDIASIS IN HIV INFECTED PATIENTS IN UGANDA Makerere University 2021 2025

Memberships

Role Committee/board Start Date End Date
Organising committee member Medical Mycology TraineeSeminar Series 2020 2025

Education

Institution Degree Year
University of Birmingham, United Kingdom PhD 2019-10-19
University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom MRes 2015-09-28
Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda MSc 2014-08-08

Areas Of Specialisation

Medical Mycolog, fungal immunology, infection biology

Grants

Publications

Environmental interactions with amoebae as drivers of bacterial-fungal endosymbiosis and pathogenicity
Authors:
Date:
2022-03-14
Journal:
Current Biology
Content:
Status of pulmonary fungal pathogens among individuals with clinical features of pulmonary tuberculosis at Mbarara University Teaching Hospital in Southwestern Uganda
Authors:
Date:
2021-01-01
Journal:
Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease
Content:
Background: Pulmonary mycoses are important diseases of the respiratory tract caused by pulmonary fungal pathogens. These pathogens are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality rates worldwide; however, less attention has been paid to them. In this study we determined the prevalence of pulmonary fungal pathogens among individuals with clinical features of pulmonary tuberculosis at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. Method: This was a hospital based cross sectional survey. Sputum samples were collected from each study participant. For each sample, the following tests were performed: Sabouraud dextrose agar for fungal culture, GeneXpert for Mycobacteria tuberculosis (MTB) and potassium hydroxide for fungal screening. Filamentous fungal growth and yeasts were further examined with lactophenol cotton blue staining and germ tube respectively. Results: Out of 113 study participants, 80 (70.7%) had pulmonary fungal pathogens whilst those with pulmonary tuberculosis numbered five (4.4%). Candida albicans [21 (22.58%)] and Aspergillus species [16 (17.20%)] were the pathogens most identified among others. Two (1.7%) TB GeneXpert positive participants had fungal pathogens isolated from their sputum samples. We established a prevalence of 57 (71.3%) for pulmonary fungal pathogen (PFP) isolates, three (60.0%) for MTB in HIV positive patients and 18 (22.5%) for PFP, and zero (0.0%) for MTB in HIV negative patients. On the other hand, two (100%) HIV positive patients had both PFP isolates and MTB. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the diversity of neglected pulmonary fungal pathogens whose known medical importance in causing pulmonary mycoses cannot be overemphasised. Therefore this presents a need for routine diagnosis for pulmonary mycoses among TB suspects and set-up of antimicrobial profile for pulmonary fungal isolates to support clinical management of these cases.
Status of pulmonary fungal pathogens among individuals with clinical features of pulmonary tuberculosis at Mbarara University Teaching Hospital in Southwestern Uganda
Authors:
Israel
Date:
2021-08-10
Journal:
Therapeutic advances in infections diseases
Content:
Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of Vulvovaginal Candida species among Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, South Western Uganda.
Authors:
Mukasa KJ , author
Herbert I , author
Daniel A , author
Sserunkuma KL , author
Joel B , author
Frederick B , author
Date:
2014-11-01
Journal:
British microbiology research journal
Content:
Clindamycin Resistance among Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, in South Western Uganda.
Authors:
Mwambi B , author
Iramiot J , author
Bwanga F , author
Nakaye M , author
Itabangi H , author
Bazira J , author
Date:
2014-12-01
Journal:
British microbiology research journal
Content:
Host-pathogen transcriptomics of macrophages, Mucorales and their endosymbionts: a polymicrobial pas de trois
Authors:
Sephton-Clark P , author
Muñoz JF , author
Itabangi H , author
Voelz K , author
Cuomo CA , author
Ballou ER , author
Date:
2019-03-01
Journal:
Content:
Bacteriological profile, antibiotic susceptibility and factors associated with neonatal Septicaemia at Kilembe mines hospital, Kasese District Western Uganda
Authors:
Date:
2021-11-01
Journal:
BMC microbiology
Content:
AmpC-BETA Lactamases among Enterobacteriaceae Isolated at a Tertiary Hospital, South Western Uganda.
Authors:
Nakaye M , author
Bwanga F , author
Itabangi H , author
Stanley IJ , author
Bashir M , author
Bazira J , author
Date:
2014-09-01
Journal:
British biotechnology journal
Content:
A bacterial endosymbiont of the fungus Rhizopus microsporus drives phagocyte evasion and opportunistic virulence
Authors:
Date:
2022-03-01
Journal:
Current Biology
Content:
Assessment of three medical and research laboratories using WHO AFRO_SLIPTA Quality Standards in Southwestern Uganda: a long way to go.
Authors:
Taremwa IM , author
Ampaire L , author
Iramiot J , author
Muhwezi O , author
Matte A , author
Itabangi H , author
Mbabazi H , author
Atwebembeire J , author
Kamwine M , author
Katawera V , author
Mbalibulha Y , author
Orikiriza P , author
Boum Y , author
Date:
2017-10-01
Journal:
The Pan African medical journal
Content:
Teaching assistant
Authors:
Date:
Journal:
Content:
A bacterial endosymbiont enables fungal immune evasion during fatal mucormycete infection
Authors:
Itabangi H , author
Sephton-Clark PCS , author
Zhou X , author
Insua I , author
Probert M , author
Correia J , author
Moynihan P , author
Gebremariam T , author
Gu Y , author
Lin L , author
Ibrahim AS , author
Brown GD , author
King JS , author
Voelz K , author
Date:
2019-03-01
Journal:
Content:

Projects

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