Ticks are relentless parasites. They thrive by feeding on the blood of their hosts, thus exposing themselves to the host's circulating antibodies, which can either target the tick itself or the pathogens it carries. This natural interaction explains why indigenous African cattle breeds, after repeated tick bites, develop a form of acquired immunity.

Harnessing this phenomenon, Dr Charles Ndawula, Fellow of the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE) programme, is pioneering a novel approach to vaccine development aimed at disrupting the transmission of East Coast fever (ECF)—a deadly cattle disease. His research focuses on two innovative strategies that could block the pathogen’s life cycle in both cattle and ticks.

How do the two vaccines work?
Dr Ndawula’s first approach involves genetic weakening of the ECF pathogen. By using chemical agents to alter the pathogen’s DNA, he creates a weakened strain that, when used in vaccination, triggers the cattle’s immune system without causing disease. Crucially, this altered pathogen also loses its ability to develop inside tick tissues, cutting off transmission at its source.

The second approach leverages recombinant proteins—lab-produced proteins based on the genetic blueprint of those that naturally induce immunity in cattle. This strategy, developed in collaboration with researchers at Braunschweig Technical University, involves vaccinating cattle with these proteins to stimulate antibody production. These antibodies, in turn, can interfere with the ECF pathogen’s ability to thrive—either within the cattle or inside the ticks that feed on them.

A Sustainable Future for Cattle Health
Both strategies offer a powerful, sustainable solution to controlling ECF and other tick-borne diseases in Africa. By disrupting the pathogen’s ability to survive in cattle and ticks, these vaccines could significantly reduce disease transmission, safeguarding the health and livelihoods of livestock farmers across the continent.

With the two strategies, Dr Ndawula will contribute to the sustainable control of ECF and other tick-borne disease in Africa.