Five-year sh20b research to target emerging tick-borne diseases

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Scientists and researchers from several countries have launched a five-year study aimed at understanding and preventing emerging tick-borne viral diseases, particularly those transmitted from animals to humans.

The project, titled Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases, is expected to cost $5.5 million (about sh20 billion). It will be conducted under the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in collaboration with the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Other partners include Makerere University, Oxford University, and scientists from Kenya.

While launching the research at the UVRI/MRC/LSHTM Unit in Entebbe Municipality on Wednesday, April 9, Dr Charles Olaro, the acting director general of health services at the Ministry of Health, said Uganda has long been a fertile ground for outbreaks such as Ebola, Mpox, and Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), among others. 

He expressed optimism that the study will be vital in understanding infections like CCHF in areas and conditions where it is most prevalent, as well as the extent of its presence in Uganda.

Cutting a cake in celebration of the newly launched study aimed at understanding and preventing tick borne viral diseases that spread from animals to humans. (Photo by Julius Luwemba)

"As we were responding to the Ebola Sudan virus recently, we also recorded a case of CCHF in Kyegegwa district, which was successfully managed at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital. If we did not have the capacity to detect it, we would have considered it among the Ebola cases, and perhaps, the patient would have died. Therefore, as a country, we always have to be prepared, and studies such as this help build our capacity in preparedness," Olaro stated.

Prof. Emma Thomson, the acting director of the Medical Research Council at the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, is the principal investigator for the new study. She explained that the project seeks to deepen understanding of the disease burden from the CCHF virus, which causes symptoms very similar to those of the Ebola virus. She also noted that CCHF often presents symptoms that resemble malaria.

"So, part of our work will be to try to diagnose CCHF, but also to better understand the relationship between this virus and other viruses which are close cousins and exist in the environment," remarked Prof Thomson. She pointed out that one in every three people have been exposed to the CCHF virus, particularly in livestock communities in Uganda.

Available studies indicate that around three billion people globally are at risk of contracting CCHF, a zoonotic viral illness for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or antiviral drug. In September 2024, researchers at UVRI/MRC/LSHTM began work on developing a vaccine to combat CCHF. Assistant Prof Sheila Balinda, the principal investigator of that vaccine study, previously said the vaccine is expected to effectively target infections in both humans and animals.

During Wednesday’s launch of the enhanced research on tick-borne viral diseases, Prof. Thomson noted that the new study would contribute to vaccine development efforts. "Vaccine development can take a very long time and requires significant investment in terms of resources. We therefore believe these concerted efforts will help speed up the process of vaccine development," she explained.

Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, director of UVRI, said the new study would focus on how the viruses are transmitted, “but with a perception that some of these viruses are important for our bodies and the immune system.”

Highlighting the importance of collaboration, Prof. Moffat Nyirenda, director of MRC/UVRI/LSHTM, emphasised that the launch of the project provides a strong foundation for collaboration and support from the MRC, UVRI, and US funders. Using the One Health approach, the study will involve several ministries, including those of health, agriculture, wildlife, and environment.

On behalf of the Ministry of Health, Dr Olaro reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the research and translating the findings into actionable public health measures.