These proceedings are of a workshop that was the third in a series organized jointly by the International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The 1988 workshop was also supported by the Organization of African Unity/Inter-African Bureau of Animal Resources (OAU/IBAR). These workshops are designed to bring together research workers and those responsible for tick-borne disease control in countries of eastern, central and southern Africa. At the first workshop in this series, held in Nairobi in October 1984, participants provided updates on theileriosis in the countries of the region, reports on immunization trials, and papers expanding on elements of immunization (see Irvin, A.D., Immunization against Theileriosis in Africa: Proceedings of a Workshop Sponsored by the International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Held in Nairobi, Kenya, 1-5 October 1984, Nairobi: ILRAD, 1985). The establishment of a network for the exchange of information and data on theileriosis immunization and control was also discussed. The second workshop, held in Nairobi in September 1985, emphasized data collection and handling as well as analyses of productivity in relation to immunization (see Irvin, A.D., Immunization against East Coast Fever: Report of a Workshop on Collection, Handling and Analysis of Performance. and Productivity Data, Held in Nairobi, Kenya, 23-25 September 1985, Nairobi: ILRAD, 1986). This workshop introduced the participants to practical data handling and computer use. The third workshop was originally planned for November 1987 but was postponed due to uncertainty about the future and funding of some of the FAO tick and tick-borne disease control projects. The workshop was eventually held in Lilongwe, Malawi, in September 1988, with considerable support from the Malawi Government.
The topics to be discussed were selected by the workshop's Organizing Committee. The topics included reports on theileriosis and immunization trials carried out in the countries of the region since the workshop in 1985. Papers were also invited on such topics as the cost of immunization, parasite characterization, the role of wildlife in theileriosis epidemiology, the role of regional laboratories in controlling ticks and tick-borne diseases, and the attitude of host governments to regional laboratories. Participants reporting on immunization trials were asked to emphasize problems they had encountered in planning, organizing or executing trials so that these experiences could be passed on and these problems anticipated and avoided, if possible, in future trials. In keeping with the themes of the earlier workshops in this series, papers were also invited on productivity and data analysis and these topics were expanded to include epidemiology and geographic information systems.
The Organizing Committee also decided to convene committees to address and make recommendations on safe procedures for handling ticks and preparing stabilates, co-ordination of research and funding, and devising a logical and consistent system of nomenclature of Theileria parva. The safety issue has been discussed informally for a long time, particularly in relation to the risk of transmission of other animal pathogens by the infection-and-treatment method of immunization. The risk of disease transmission from ticks to man was highlighted a few years ago by the deaths of two people in South Africa from Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever. Funding for disease control projects is often limited or, if from donors, of short or uncertain periods. Sustained support for tick-borne disease control projects is critical for their success. The common use of sub-species names for T. parva and location names in the identification of isolates and stocks, the isolation of cloned parasites and the use of a range of new techniques for the characterization of these clones all demand that a logical and consistent system of nomenclature be adopted. Thus, committees were convened under the chairmanships of Drs. S.P. Morzaria (Safety), S. Magembe (Co-ordination) and A.S. Young (Nomenclature), and met during the course of the workshop. The committees' recommendations were put before the full meeting and debated under the firm chairmanship of Dr. W.N. Masiga. The final, approved, recommendations appear at the end of these proceedings.
The Organizing Committee was composed of Drs. T.T. Dolan and J.K. Lenahan (ILRAD), R.C. Makandawire (Malawi), W.N. Masiga (OAU/IBAR) and F.L. Musisi (FAO, Malawi). This committee never met but communicated effectively nonetheless by telephone, telex and letter. The lines of communication were maintained through the office of the FAO Representative in Malawi, Mr. G.K. Mburathi. The success of the meeting was guaranteed by the continuous support of the veterinary staff in the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture, particularly of the Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Thyangathyanga, and the support and encouragement of Dr. P.J. McCosker, of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in Rome.
Participation at the meeting was sponsored by Coopers Animal Health (UK); FAO; German Agency for Technical Cooperation; the governments of Belgium, Ireland and Malawi; ILRAD; OAU/IBAR; Overseas Development Administration (UK); and Oxfam. The Malawi Government was extremely generous in the welcome and support it gave to participants in the form of staff, infrastructure. transport and hospitality. The FAO office in Lilongwe acted as a the meeting. The FAO/Netherlands-funded East Coast Fever Vaccine Production and Quality Control Project (GLP/RAF/247/NET) provided office equipment and support staff throughout the meeting. Malawi Pharmaceuticals hosted a very enjoyable cocktail party.
Many people assisted in the preparation of these proceedings. I am particularly grateful to Drs. Norval, Perry and Young for reviewing the manuscripts. Dr. Peter Gardiner provided very constructive criticism on sections of the text. The artwork was done by Mr. John Ayienga and photographs were provided by the Malawi National Information Centre, Mr. David Elsworth, Mr. Francis Shikhubari, Drs. Jane Walker and M.D. Corwin (covers), and Dr. Geu Grootenhuis. Dr. Jim Lenahan and his assistant, Ms. Catherine Munyua, were extremely patient and helpful both in making arrangements for the meeting and in preparing these proceedings.
Thomas T. Dolan
The International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases
Nairobi, June 1989
