Theinfection and treatment method (ITM) is a method of vaccination, which involvesthe simultaneous inoculations of live Theileria parva parasites and theantibiotic oxytetracycline. T. parva is transmitted by ticks and the parasitematerial in the vaccine comprises a ground homogenate of infective ticks. Theoxytetracycline serves to limit the infection induced by administration of theparasite, while allowing the parasite to induce a strongly protective immuneresponse.

EastCoast fever (ECF) is found predominantly in 11 countries in central, easternand southern Africa. It results in the death of about 1 million cattleannually, with a further 28 million of the 47 million cattle in the regionbeing at risk of contracting the disease. The economic losses are estimated tobe US$300 million per year. This does not include losses attributed to theinability to introduce more productive exotic cattle, in which the effects ofthe disease are more severe. The most practical alternative control method forECF is the use of acaricides to reduce the incidence of parasite transmission.However, this approach suffers from the requirement for infrastructure, thecost of the acaricides, the need to apply the acaricides at least weekly, thedevelopment of resistance to the acaricides by the ticks and the environmentalharm caused by acaricide run-off. It has been estimated that uptake of the ITMvaccine would result in a saving of 260 million litres of water and wouldprevent 260,000 litres of acaricide from being released into the environment.Sick animals can also be treated with antitheilerial drugs, but these areexpensive and require an early diagnosis to be effective. In comparison, ITMprovides what is believed to be life-long immunity after a single inoculation.

Thetechnology has been used in a commercial setting predominantly in the pastoralareas of northern Tanzania and in the agropastoral areas of Eastern Zambia,where more than 500,000 and 400,000 cattle respectively, have been vaccinated.The greatly increased survival rate following vaccination has resulted inincome generation due to greater off take of cattle for sale. The vaccine hasrecently been registered in Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi, and is in the finalstages of registration in Uganda. A consortium comprising AU-IBAR, GlobalAlliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed), International LivestockResearch Institute (ILRI), PanAfrican Veterinary Vaccine Centre (PANVAC) andDistrict Veterinary Services (DVS) representatives is coordinating theestablishment of commercial distribution networks and a manufacturing facility.

Scaling-up approaches

Theultimate beneficiaries of the technology are pastoralists, agropastoralists andsmallholder dairy cattle keepers in the 11 affected countries. The vaccine haspredominantly been taken up by Maasai pastoralists in northern Tanzania andsouthern Kenya, and agropastoralists in eastern Zambia. The vaccine has beenused to a more limited extent to allow the introduction of crossbred animals inUganda.

Thetechnology is delivered by trained veterinarians and animal health workers. Thecritical factors are:

§  a reliable supply of the vaccine frommanufacturers to encourage distributors and deliverers of the vaccine to investin infrastructure, services and marketing material

§  an efficient distribution system toensure that the vaccine is kept in liquid nitrogen until administration bytrained practitioners

§  awareness of the product amongst thelivestock owners and animal health service organisations to stimulate uptake ofthe vaccine. This awareness should be facilitated by quantified assessment ofthe benefits of vaccination

§  establishment of user groups anddelivery networks linked to the manufacturer through distributors, toadminister the vaccine and monitor the vaccinated animals to ensure safe andeffective delivery of the vaccine

§  inclusion of the vaccine in an overalllivestock sector development and improvement program in target regions tomaximise the gains from vaccination.

Challenges

§  Establishment of commercial distributionand manufacturing facilities has been a challenge

§  Need to invest in product improvementsto remove the need for the liquid nitrogen cold chain and package sizes suitedto different production systems

§  Increasing the awareness of thetechnology

§  Linking vaccine use to overall livestocksector development to enhance increased off take as risk and mortality arereduced.

Recommendations

§  Establish a commercial distribution andmanufacturing facility. This should be facilitated through a public-privatepartnership such as GALVmed,

§  Development funding is required todevelop and validate product and process improvements by the manufacturer

§  Commercial distributors and animalhealth institutions (e.g. Departments of Veterinary Services) need to developsensitisation and awareness campaigns featuring livestock owners currentlyemploying vaccination

§  Need to link vaccine delivery tolivestock sector development activities in pastoral areas to facilitate accessto markets, such that the income from increased sale of animals can be realisedand used to finance additional improvements such as building of dams andimproved cattle types.

Thelessons learnt about the best ways to get technologies or innovations adopted bythe largest number of people included: the successful implementation of thetechnology required, and will continue to require, the sustained commitment andintegration of activities by various entities including the manufacturer, thedistributors, the governmental regulatory and animal health authorities, andpublic sector donors. This was underpinned by confidence that thecommercialisation of the hitherto experimental vaccine was possible and thatthere was willingness to modify and adapt the technology to the particularcircumstances of its use.

Key tothe increased uptake of the vaccine in northern Tanzania was the presence ofveterinarians with experience in the use of the vaccine, and communication ofits benefits by livestock owners whose cattle had been vaccinated to those whowere uncertain about its use.

In thedissemination of the technology, studies have shown that poor households,including those headed by women, often cannot afford the technology. As part ofits global access strategy, GALVmed will explore and test mechanisms forgetting the vaccine to these households via commercial distributors.

<http://www.ilri.org/ilrinews/index.php/archives/1982>;http://www.galvmed.organd <http://www.sheepsclothing.info/nrk/RIUinfo/PF/AHP14.htm>.

Name and contact of the organisation:

InternationalLivestock Research Institute (ILRI),

P. O.Box 30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;

Email: www.ilri.org;

Tel: 25420 422 3000

Fax: 25420 422 3001

Name and contact of presenter:

Dr AmosOmore, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI),

PO Box30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;

Email: a.omore@cgiar.org;

Tel:+254 20 422 3000;

Fax:+254 20 422 3001

Name and contact address of keyscientists:

Drs PToye and H Kiara,

P. O.Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya;

Email:p.toye@cgiar.org; h.kiara@cgiar.org;

Tel:+254 20 422 3000;

Fax:+254 20 422 3001 118

Name and contact address of keypartners:

§  African Union-InterAfrica Bureau forAnimal Resources (AU-IBAR)

§  PANVAC, Ethiopia • GALVmed (GlobalAlliance for Veterinary Medicines), Edinburgh, UK

§  Departments of Veterinary Services inKenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi

§  VetAgro, Arusha, Tanzania • Centre forTicks and Tick-borne Diseases, Lilongwe, Malawi

§  Food and Agricultural Organization ofthe United Nations, Rome, Italy