East Coast Fever

Abstract

East coast fever, a disease of cattle caused by the protozoan parasite Theileria parva and transmitted by the three-host tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (the brown ear tick), is a major constraint to cattle production in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa. In Kenya it is the most important tick-borne disease and a major constraint in cattle productivity. This is due to the high morbidity and mortality it causes in susceptible herds, the cost of control of the vector ticks, and the cost of treatment of clinical cases. Animals that recover from the disease also suffer from reduced productivity which can be long term. The limited distribution of the tick and the disease to only East, Central and Southern Africa also means that the market for therapeutic drugs and acaricides is small. Therefore, drug companies are not keen on funding research and development of new drug and acaricide molecules when resistance occurs.