Africa-Press – Uganda. A Ugandan scientist at the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) has developed a vaccine specifically targeting ticks that infest cattle.
Together with a group at the Health and Biotechnology (SaBio), Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM) in Spain, the scientist developed a vaccine against brown ear tick, (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus) locally known as Engoha, African blue tick (Rhipicephalus decoloratus), locally known as entujo and tropical bont tick (Amblyomma variegatum) locally known as Embarabara.
Mr Paul Kasaija, a NARO staff undertook the early research efforts as part of his PhD work under the supervision of Prof Jose de la Fuente and Dr.Marinela Contreras at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Spain.
The vaccine according to NARO, was derived from a protein called Subolesin which was extracted from native tick species.
“The ‘collaborative effort has produced the injectable and oral anti-tick vaccines. The injectable anti-tick vaccine is administered in the muscle of cattle around the neck region while the oral vaccine is given to cattle through the mouth or mixed in a suitable cattle meal,” the NARO statement released March 27, reads in part.
The statement adds that the injectable anti-tick vaccine has been evaluated on five farms across the country representing five ecological zones of Uganda.
The farms include; Mbarara ZARDI farm; Kiburara Prison farm in Ibanda District; Isimba prison farm in Masindi District; Maruzi livestock research station in Apac District; and Nabuin ZARDI farm in Nabilatuk District.
“Trial cattle were sprayed twice at Mbarara and completely not sprayed at Kiburara and Isimba farms. During the 10 months of the field evaluation trial, cattle were only sprayed once at Maruzi and completely not sprayed at Nabuin. Trial cattle were sprayed twice. On all the farms, there were no deaths due to tick and tick-borne diseases during the trial period,” NARO said.
NARO has already obtained a utility model patent for the injectable and oral anti-tick vaccines (UG/U/2023/6) and efforts are underway to acquire clearance from the national regulatory bodies to register and recommend use of the vaccines by farmers.
After registration, NARO is set to massively produce and roll out the vaccine to livestock farmers in and outside the country.
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