10.17037/DATA.00005249
This dataset contains information collected from 88 patients enrolled in the study who presented at the Mbarara University and Referral Hospital Eye Hospital with signs of microbial keratitis between November 2023 and June 2025. It includes variables detailing participant demographics, clinical history, clinical presentation, and laboratory diagnoses based on corneal sample analysis.
We prospectively recruited patients presenting with microbial keratitis (MK) at Mbarara University Referral Hospital and Eye Centre (MURHEC) between November 2023 and June 2025. Social demographic information was collected. Corneal scrapings were obtained from patients (n =88) with clinically suspected fungal keratitis. Routine diagnostic tests included microscopy (KOH and Gram stain), In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), Culture and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The alternative tests were Smartphone based microscope-Dipple, Loop isothermal amplification test (LAMP) and Calcofluor white+ Potassium Hydroxide (CFW+KOH). The data was analyzed with Stata 17 and summarized as tables for diagnostic yield by method, sensitivity and specificity of alternative tests against composite reference standard of IVCM, Microscopy and culture. The agreement and accuracy of the tests under study was presented by Kappa scores and McNemar’s p value.
Patients were enrolled in the study on presentation at the Mbarara University and Referral Hospital Eye Hospital with signs of microbial keratitis.
Data collection between November 2023 and June 2025.
Patients were enrolled in the study on presentation at the Mbarara University and Referral Hospital Eye Hospital with signs of microbial keratitis.
Dataset contains broad demographic details only.
| Organisation | Ethics ID | Other information |
| Mbarara University Research Ethics Committee | MUST-2022-592 | Additional ethical approved for sharing provided on 4 June 2026 |
| Uganda National Council for Science and Technology | HS2719ES |
Microbial keratitis; bacterial keratitis; fungal keratitis; keratitis; blindness; LAMP, Calcofluor white with potassium hydroxide, Uganda
English
| Project name | Funder/sponsor | Grant number |
| Performance of alternative diagnostic tests; Loop Isothermal Amplification Assay (LAMP), CFW+KOH, and a Smartphone based microscope-Dipple in the diagnosis of Fungal Keratitis among Patients attending MURHEC- Southwestern Uganda | Velux Stiftung Switzerland | 1703 |
| Performance of alternative diagnostic tests; Loop Isothermal Amplification Assay (LAMP), CFW+KOH, and a Smartphone based microscope-Dipple in the diagnosis of Fungal Keratitis among Patients attending MURHEC- Southwestern Uganda | Wellcome Trust | 207472/Z/17/Z |
| Forename | Surname | Faculty / Dept | Institution | Role |
| Arunga | Simon | Department of Ophthalmology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Western Region, Uganda International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom | Study Design/Data Creator/ Manuscript writing | |
| Orishaba | Francis | Department of Ophthalmology | Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Western Region, Uganda | Study Design/Data Creator/manuscript writing |
| Ebong | Abel | Department of Ophthalmology | Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Western Region, Uganda | Data Creator |
| Kassaza | Kennedy | Department of microbiology | Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Western Region, Uganda | Data Creator |
| Karuhanga | Naome | Department of microbiology | Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Western Region, Uganda | Data Creator |
| Forename | Surname | Faculty / Dept | Institution | Role |
| Ayebare | David | Department of Public Health | Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Western Region, Uganda | Data Analysis |
| Leck | Astrid | International Centre for Eye Health | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom | Study design |
| Butcher | Robert | International Centre for Eye Health | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom | Study design |
| Onyango | John | Department of Ophthalmology | Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Western Region, Uganda | Reviewing the manuscript |
| Bazira | Joel | Department of microbiology | Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Western Region, Uganda | Reviewing the manuscript |
| Burton | Mathew J. | International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London. United Kingdom | Study Design/ Reviewing the manuscript |
| Filename | Description | Access status | Licence |
| Novel_tests_dataset | Data collected from patients who presented with signs of microbial keratitis | Controlled | Data Sharing Agreement |
| Novel_tests_dataset_codebook | Codebook for the Fungal Keratitis dataset | Open | Creative Commons Attribution (CCBY) |
| Supplementary_material | Supplementary material file containing details on the reaction mix and master mix target concentration | Open | |
| STARD-2015-Checklist | SIARD 2015 checklist for paper | Open | Creative Commons Attribution (CCBY) |