MRC PhD students

Leah Nemarude is an MRC Intern under the supervision of Professor Jeff Mphahlele based at the MRC Diarrhoeal Pathogens Research Unit, University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus).

Academic qualifications
BSc (Microbiology and Biochemistry) University of Venda
BSc Hons (Microbiology) University of Venda.

Current studies
MSC (MED) IN MEDICAL VIROLOGY with the MRC Diarrhoeal Pathogens Research Unit, University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus).

Research topic
A hospital based burden of disease study in viral enteric agents associated with infant diarrhea at Dr George Mukhari hospital

Diarrhoeal diseases are one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity globally after lower respiratory diseases.  In South Africa, diarrhoeal disease is still a major cause of mortality in both infants and children less than 5 years with an estimate of 4,878 and 1936 deaths out of a total of 22.866 and 7261 registered deaths respectively. Viral gastroenteritis is a common illness in humans of all age groups, with a high morbidity reported worldwide.

In South Africa viral infections are associated with more than one-quarter of all severe cases of diarrhoeal admissions in hospital.

Objectives
Primary Objectives
To determine the burden of diarrhoea associated with rotaviruses and astroviruses in infants in Dr George Mukhari Hospital.

Specific Objectives

• To determine the prevalence of rotaviruses and astroviruses in diarrhoeal stool specimens obtained from children with diarrhoea at the Dr George Mukhari Hospital during 2006 using commercially available Enzyme Linked Immunoassay kits.
• To confirm the presence of rotaviruses and Astroviruses using reverse transcriptase PCR with virus-specific primers.
• To perform molecular characterization of rotavirus-positive samples using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and nested reverse transcriptase PCR typing to determine the G and P genotypes and establish the genetic diversity of the circulating strains.
• To perform molecular characterization of astrovirus-positive samples using a reverse transcriptase PCR to determine the strain serotype. Untypeable strains will be amplified and sequenced to determine the serotype.
• To determine the burden of disease of diarrhoea in children caused by these enteric viruses in the Dr George Mukhari Hospital during 2006 using statistical analysis of the results.

Supervisor: Dr N Potgieter (University of Venda)
Co-supervisor: Dr N Page (National institute for communicable diseases), Ms M L Seheri (MRC DPRU, UL)
Mentor: Prof: J Mphahlele (UL)