The University of Zambia – UNZA lecturer and researcher, Dr. Simbarashe Chitanga has been award a US$2.4 million grant to conduct research on ticks and tick – borne Rickettsial pathogens.
According to information availed to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, by UNZA spokesperson Brenda Bukowa, the grant that is jointly funded by the National Institute of Health – NIH in the United States of America – USA and the National Science Foundation – NSF through the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Program, will see Dr. Chitanga collaborate with researchers from five (5) other Universities from USA and South Africa to study the tick distribution as well as prevalence of Rickettsial pathogens.
Dr. Chitanga who is a Lecturer and Researcher in the School of Health Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Zambia’s Ridgeway Campus, says his research focuses on understanding factors that influence the tick distribution and the epidemiology of Rickettsia infection in ticks which are crucial to the control and mitigation of these bacteria that are passed through the bite of an infected tick. The bacteria which infects both humans and animals, causes clinical signs that resemble those of malaria – fever and body weakness.
And, according to Dr Chitanga, in a previous study conducted in eastern, northern and western parts of Zambia, about 16% of the people tested in the sample had evidence of previously being infected by Rickettsia. Despite the findings from the study however, human cases of fever are never tested for Rickettsia in Zambia’s health centers. As such, findings from his study are crucial to influencing policy on diagnostic steps for cases of this fever.
Meanwhile,UNZA Vice Chancellor, Prof. Luke Evuta Mumba has congratulated Dr. Chitanga for winning the $2.4m grant and embarking on research that has potential to save lives in Zambia and the Sub-Saharan region.
Prof. Mumba says, “UNZA Management is optimistic that through this multi-disciplinary study, humanity will have answers to how influences of environmental, physiological, and microbial factors on determination of human risk of tick-borne rickettsial infection can be established”
He adds that “tick-borne Rickettsial needs urgent control measures because it is a disease that is often mistaken for malaria but does not respond to malarial treatment. Your research is commendable. UNZA is proud to call you one of its own scholars” Prof. Mumba says.
Dr. Chitanga’s research will span over a period of five years involving collection of ticks from animals and vegetation every month for a period of 60 months in search of the tick-borne Rickettsial pathogen. The research will also involve testing humans for presence of the pathogens in human blood.
Dr. Simbarashe Chitanga holds a PhD in Veterinary Medicine from Ghent University in Belgium and also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of KwaZulu- Natal in Durban, South Africa. His research interests include Parasitic zoonoses, Vector & Rodents borne zoonoses and Vector Ecology.
