On 2 July 2012 a new project was launched to develop a novel subunit cattle vaccine for the control of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), known as lung plague. This was announced by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) under the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF).
‘CIFSRF, a five-year, $62 million fund, brings Canadian and developing-country researchers together to produce lasting solutions to combat hunger and food insecurity in the developing world. This fund is also an important part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to doubling its investment in sustainable agricultural development, a commitment made by Canada at the 2009 G8 Meeting in L’Aquila, Italy.’
CBPP is an important highly contagious cattle disease that leads to a lot of losses in Kenya and the Africa continent. However, the current live vaccine used to control the disease is expensive to produce and gives shorter duration immunity, among other limitations. Through this new partnership, the project aims to produce an improved vaccine that is affordable, stable, easy to produce and gives better immunity.
‘This project aims to identify, by a very direct approach, components which would comprise a safer, more effective and cheaper vaccine. Such a vaccine would make control of CBPP much easier, particularly if done in combination with other control measures. We shall carry out a systematic approach to identify protective molecules from the mycoplasma pathogen.’ Jan Naessens, ILRI immunologist
‘The IDRC grant made such an approach possible: it provides the support and brings together a number of players who have the same goals, but have different and complementary competencies. VIDO has experience in vaccine production and offers high tech capabilities in its institute in Saskatoon. ILRI, based in Nairobi, has good knowledge of the bovine immunology of CBPP, while KARI is familiar with the disease in the field and the potential problems that can arise there. This is a unique combination and we are very enthusiastic about this opportunity.’ Phil Toye, ILRI immunologist
The project was officially launched by the Kenyan Minister for livestock development, Mohamed Kuti. In his opening speech, read on his behalf by Peter Ithondeka, Kenya’s director of veterinary services, the minister commended the scientists from Kenya and Canada who came up with this novel research project. The Canadian commitment and leadership to eradicate this and other livestock diseases was highly commended at the event.
The project is being led by the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (KARI) in partnership with the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Organization (VIDO) of Canada and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
Read about the announcement of the new international research projects in the Canada Newswire:IDRC and CIDA support Canadian and developing-country scientists’ efforts to solve world hunger
Find more about the project here: Developing a vaccine for eradicating contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Africa