Immunological Control of Ticks:
Research Towards Development of an Anti-Tick Vaccine for Cattle
David Odongo1,6, Cassandra Olds1,5, Claudia Daubenberger2, Anthony Musoke3, Glen Scoles4, Don Knowles4, Richard Bishop1
1 International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi; 2 Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute;
3 Ondersterport Veterinary Institute, South Africa; 4 United States Department of Agriculture/Dept of Veterinary Microbiology
and Pathology, Washington State University, USA; 5 Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub at ILRI, Nairobi; 6 University of Nairobi
Ticks: How big a problem are they? Research Project objectives
 Rhi pi cephal us (Boophi l us) appendi cul at us  To identify specific tick genes expressed in response to
- The main tick vector of Theileria parva, the feeding and determine w hether these genes serve as anti-
etiologic agent of East Coast fever (ECF), a tick or pathogen transmission blocking vaccine targets.
lympho-proliferative killer disease of cattle
Targeting internal vector/ parasite interface to identify
genes that could serve as pathogen transmission blocking
vaccine targets
A cow suff eri ng f rom ECF.
- Extreme anxiety due to possible
loss of a lifetime investment
- Death of young animals means
Research Milestones – where are we?
farmer cannot re-stock
 R. appendiculatus salivary gland expressed sequence
tags – underpins development of salivary gland protein
based vaccine (mi mi cs natural i mmuni ty)
 ECF i s endemi c i n 11 countri es i n A f ri ca.
-A pprox 28 million cattle at risk, 1m deaths/ year  N ovel secreted proteins of R. appendiculatus salivary
A nnual losses amount to US$300 million. gland isolated by functional screening
 Tick cement cone protein (Trp64) show n to induce
 Current control – intensive use of acaricides, how ever not cross-reactive response and protection against tick
sustainable due to resistance, increasing costs and contamination infestation
of livestock products and the environment
 Immunization of cattle w ith a baculovirus expressed
 Development of vaccine against tick infestation in cattle is a recombinant R. appendiculatus lipocalin fold resulted in
promising field of research reduced number of adult female ticks feeding to
engorgement and decreased egg production
OUR RESEARCH GOAL  Tick/ pathogen combination construct vaccine
developed and ready for testing in cattle
 To contribute to sustainable integrated control of tick
vectors of livestock disease by research related to
development and deployment of vaccines against cattle
ticks. This w ill reduce the utilization of environmentally-
damaging acaricides for vector control.
Expected outputs from on-going research
Principle research questions we are asking:
 Identify additional genes in tick gut and salivary glands for
Immuno-modulatory proteins in tick salivary glands - can they use as antigens in subunit based vaccines
serve as vaccine targets to prevent pathogen transmission?
Bioinformatics and comparative genomics to identify tick gut A marketable tick vaccine
genes that are up-regulated in response to tick feeding on host for the cattle industry?
“ The TickGA RD experience”
RN A interference – gene knockdow n
to study biological function of
identified candidate genes
A vaccine that is effective, safe, affordable
to the farmer, that is cost competitive and
Does vaccination w ith recombinant antigen of protection w ill reduce intensive use of acaricides
Concept of a combination vaccine rather than a “ silver bullet”
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