26
DairyPost Africa • May 2014
every new animal will be at increased risk of
contracting ECF. As the article says, none of
us has seen a vaccine like this before.
The vaccine comes in 40-dose vials but
unused vaccine cannot be used “later”. If the
herd size is 40 or a multiple of 40, and calves
are born or purchased in batches of 40, this
is fine, but usually they are not. So, the cost
of discarded vaccine must be factored-in.
Yes, vials may be “shared” with neighbours,
but this will not always be practicable.
It has been suggested elsewhere that the
vaccine could be used to “ring-fence” an
outbreak of ECF. This may be practical,
and justified, on a single property but in
more extensive situations, particularly
with poor tick control, the ECF-affected
area will simply be enlarged. It will be
enlarged further as the vaccinated, and
thus carrier, cattle are herded, stray, or are
traded beyond the ring-immunisation area.
With expert management ring vaccination
may be justified, particularly if good tick
control is included and curative drugs are
available, but the risks and benefits must be
considered carefully.
The ECF vaccine may be good at what it
does, but it is not the complete answer to
ECF.
Further information can be found on the
Bimeda website, www.bimeda.co.ke under
“Diagnosis and treatment of theileriosis ,
anaplasmosis and babesiosis”
Dr. McHardy is a consultant to Bimeda AMEA.
He discovered and led the development of
parvaquone (1984) and buparvaquone (1993)
to treat ECF, parvaquone + frusemide (2005) to
treat advanced ECF, and imidocarb (1972) to treat
anaplasmosis and babesiosis.
He was Technical
Advisor on the ECF vaccine programme at KARI,
Kenya, 1993-97and Head of Research and
Development at Bimeda, Dublin, 1998-2005. He is
now retired.