NARO’s Anti-Tick Vaccine cleared for use

Uganda has launched its first-ever anti-tick vaccine in the country after it has completed the second to last stages of final approval for use.

The vaccine was produced by Ugandan scientists under the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO).

Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries unveiled the anti-tick vaccine to the farmers at NARO’s Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MBAZARDI) on Thursday, October 27.

Tumwebaze said the scientists have put the vaccine’s efficacy so far at 88%.

“The trials will be done in all ecological zones of the country,” Tumwebaze said, describing the event as a great day for the farming fraternity.

“The success of the Anti-Tick Vaccine will also position Uganda among model countries in the fight against ticks which according to the UNFAO impact about 80 percent of the world’s cattle population,” Tumwebaze said.

He added that if this works out as the scientists have assured him, Uganda will have registered a major breakthrough in animal disease control and livestock development generally.

NARO says it has produced a total of 3,000 doses of the candidate vaccines ready for trials and that that they will be carried out in Masindi, Ibanda, Apac and Nabilatuk districts.

On his part, Gen. David Kasura-Kyomukama, the Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Agriculture, said the ministry is convinced that, if successful, the Anti-Tick Vaccine will save farmers millions of shillings lost in controlling ticks and loss of animals to Tick-borne diseases.

Dr. Yona Baguma, the NARO Deputy Director General Research Coordination, said the candidate anti-tick vaccines were developed by extraction and isolation of conserved ticks proteins from local ticks collected from the 10 agro ecological zones of Uganda.

The development of the Anti-Tick Vaccine through NARO is one of the steps taken to control parasites in the Animal sub-sector.

Ticks are responsible for the spread of a number of diseases including Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness, Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever, and tularemia