Trials with a new vaccine against malignant catarrhal fever in cattle, commonly known as snotsiekte, are delivering promising early results.
By Jasper Raats, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
Developing a vaccine against malignant catarrhal fever has long been a challenge for the livestock industry, but preliminary field trials suggest progress is finally being made. Dr Dario Cremona of the Pietersburg Veterinary Clinic shared his insights into the vaccine trials during a panel discussion on animal health at the recent AgriHX Expo in Polokwane, Limpopo.
Malignant catarrhal fever remains one of the most problematic diseases for cattle farmers, especially in areas where livestock come into close contact with wildebeest. Cremona said more beef cattle in Limpopo may have died from the disease over the past year than from foot-and-mouth disease.
The impact of this disease is often underestimated because outbreaks are unpredictable and vary from year to year.
Also read: Vet says he has a remedy for fatal bovine disease (snotsiekte)
Early Trial Results Encouraging
An experimental vaccine developed by Disease Control Africa has been tested on several farms, including his own, Cremona said. Some farmers have reported encouraging results, but he cautioned that it was still too early to draw firm conclusions.
“We vaccinated and had no mortalities, but the question remains whether it was the vaccine that worked or whether it was simply a year without outbreaks.”
Developing and testing a vaccine against malignant catarrhal fever is particularly difficult, Cremona said. Unlike many other diseases, outbreaks do not occur consistently, making it hard to prove effectiveness under field conditions. Attempts to deliberately reproduce the disease for testing purposes also remain challenging.
Management Still Key
There is currently no commercially available vaccine in widespread use. Farmers therefore still rely mainly on management practices to reduce risk, such as separating cattle from wildebeest, especially during high-risk periods like the wildebeest calving season.
Despite the uncertainties, Cremona believes the current trials offer hope. If the vaccine’s effectiveness can be confirmed, it could represent an important breakthrough for cattle farmers in affected areas, particularly in parts of Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga, where the disease causes significant losses each year.
Also read: Lumpy skin disease widespread: How to protect your cattle
