Vaccine to tackle methane in cattle still in the works

Mass vaccination of livestock is not new in Kenya. It has been happening, both nationally and in the regions, to curb the spread of deadly diseases, including anthrax, East Coast Fever, Rinderpest, Rabies since the precolonial times.

The exercise is concentrated mostly among pastoralist communities, whose economic sustenance is anchored on livestock. Sometimes, even wild animals have been targeted.

But as the current conversation around the anticipated mass livestock vaccination continues crowning the holiday season, the issue of a vaccine that apparently reduces methane emissions from cattle has emerged.

Some politicians have even coined a “My Fart, My Cow” slogan to discredit the exercise that is set to kick off in January.

The claims are, however, not entirely unfounded.

Plans to have a vaccine that limits methane emissions by angulates have been under way, through a pioneering collaboration between the Pirbright Institute and the Royal Veterinary College. The $9.4 million (Sh1.2 trillion) grant from the Bezos Earth Fund project seeks to use state-of-the-art biotechnology to figure out the mechanism by which a vaccine could cut livestock methane emissions by more than 30 per cent, addressing a major contributor to climate change.

In a press statement dated August 5, Bezos Earth Fund noted that livestock are a primary source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas with a significant impact on climate change. 

“The Bezos Earth Fund, together with the Global Methane Hub, have a portfolio of grants looking to reduce these emissions through low-methane genetics, improved feed, and better ranch management practices,” the statement read.

The project, described as a “moonshot” by the researchers, is part of what is said to be innovative solutions for climate change. They described it as presenting a high-risk, high-reward venture that could lead to planetary-level impacts if successful, the statement indicated.

“This groundbreaking research explores whether a moonshot to cut livestock methane emissions is achievable,” said Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, adding: 

If successful, it notes, the project could revolutionise the way methane emissions are managed in agriculture, offering a viable solution to one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases.

“We are not developing a methane vaccine per se, but rather defining what a successful vaccine needs to achieve. By understanding the precise antibody responses required, we can provide a clear path forward for vaccine development,” said Professor John Hammond, Immunogenetics Group Leader at Pirbright Institute.

A start-up medical company called ArkeaBio, has already presented its findings to the American Society for Animal Science following a trial that indicated a reduction of at least 13 per cent of methane emissions per cow.

However, the rollout of the vaccine has not been granted since it is still undergoing more trials. However, more trials have been undertaken in countries, mainly in Europe and Asia, including New Zealand.

This is why some veterinary experts have been denying claims that the planned countrywide national livestock vaccinations in Kenya are targeted at stopping livestock from producing methane-rich flatulence.

The experts say that the vaccination is set to curb the spread of two rampant viral diseases and unlock international markets to allow trade of livestock products.

The clarifications comes in the wake of heated global debates on whether the vaccines will affect livestock production following the possibility of rolling out anti-methane vaccine that could reduce climate impact of cow burps.

Benson Kibore, the compliance manager at the Kenya Veterinary Board, said that nationwide vaccinations have previously been conducted to stem outbreaks of  two viral diseases: foot and mouth disease and Peste des petits ruminants (PPR).

“Between 2006 to 2016, Kenya lost more than eight million goats and sheep to PPR. The then President, Mwai Kibaki, convened a crisis meeting, consulted veterinary professionals and an urgent mitigative strategy was designed,”  said Kibore.

The meeting led to a national vaccination campaign to save the livestock and protect livelihoods, a drive which he says stemmed the viral disease.

Similarly, Kibore said, in 2011 and 2019 the country witnessed another deadly outbreak of variant strain of foot and mouth disease in cattle.

“Livestock markets were closed. Kenya was banned from accessing the international market due to disease endemicity,” he said.

Following the outbreaks,  the government and veterinary experts developed two disease control strategies in 2015. Both strategies targeted eradicating the two diseases through vaccination by 2025.

“Contrary to the fears, these two vaccines targeting to eradicate the two diseases are not in any way laced with any additive of unknown origin,” he said.