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An integrated approach to tackling drug resistance in livestock trypanosomes.

ReferenceBB/S000143/2
Principal Investigator / Supervisor Dr Harriet Auty
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Institution University of Glasgow
DepartmentCollege of Medical, Veterinary, Life Sci
Funding typeResearch
Value (£) 232,843
StatusCurrent
TypeResearch Grant
Start date 13/01/2020
End date 31/05/2023
Duration41 months

Abstract

unavailable

Summary

unavailable

Impact Summary

This project will fill important knowledge gaps that are currently limiting the development of sustainable control strategies for animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT). Elucidating the mechanisms of T. congolense resistance to Isometamidium chloride (ISM), identifying a marker for diagnosis, and crucially better understanding the emergence and spread of resistance, as proposed in this study, are essential steps towards effective and sustainable control, including optimal use of novel drugs. We anticipate this project will enable and contribute to wider discussions on sustainable use of drugs in AAT control and help to drive this as a priority. Hence, the economic and societal impacts from this work include: Impact on disease control policies for sustainable use of trypanocides, leading to impacts on livestock farming in developing countries through reducing detrimental effects of resistance emergence: Ultimate beneficiaries of the project are subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, who are finding that current AAT treatments are no longer working, threatening their livelihoods and food security. Approximately 50 million cattle, plus millions of other livestock, are at risk of AAT in tsetse-infected across an area of ~10M km2. AAT impacts include reduced milk yields, meat production, fertility, and draught power as well as mortality, and are estimated to cost billions (US$) to the region annually - estimated at $2.5 billion to Eastern Africa alone. The disease severely impacts sub-Saharan regions where livestock rearing is the main livelihood of small communities, including many countries on the DAC list of least developed countries. Tanzania has the third largest livestock population in Africa, and a high proportion of poor livestock keepers, with >4 million cattle threatened by trypanosomiasis. Livestock keepers currently use 35-70 million doses of trypanocides annually. Two primary options exist for treatment of AAT: Isometamidium chloride and Diminazene aceturate . Both drugs are >50 years old and reported resistance to them is widespread. Outputs from this project will provide local (veterinary services), national (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries), global (AU-PATTEC, FAO) and donor (GALVmed, DFID, BMGF) organisations with evidence to back up decision-making on sustainable use of drugs in AAT control. This project was co-constructed with local veterinary services and livestock keepers in Serengeti District, and national decision-makers in Tanzania, who have identified effective and sustainable trypanocide use as a particular concern. The same trypanocide drugs used for AAT are also used to reduce T. brucei circulation in cattle, which can be reservoirs for human African trypanosomiasis. Sustainable use of these drugs therefore has added benefits in prevention of human disease. Impact upon academic and industry AAT drug discovery and development programmes: We know very little about how resistance emerges and spreads in livestock trypanosomes. This project will significantly advance this knowledge, both in terms of characterising mechanisms and rate of resistance emergence to ISM, and furthering our very scanty knowledge of the epidemiology of resistance in the field. The development of a mathematical model, that is developed and based on reliable data, will both inform on the dynamics of resistance and spread of ISM, and importantly be applicable to predicting resistance emergence and spread for novel trypanocides (such as the candidate compound currently under development by project partners GALVmed) - this output is a critical gap in knowledge and capability at present, which would be able to inform strategies to minimise resistance emergence and spread, and maximise the lifetime of both ISM and novel trypanocides. The applicants have links with relevant academic, industrial and policy stakeholders to enable dissemination and uptake of results in order to translate impact to farmers.
Committee Research Committee A (Animal disease, health and welfare)
Research TopicsAnimal Health, Microbiology, Systems Biology
Research PriorityX – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative X - not in an Initiative
Funding SchemeX – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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