The local chicken industries in Ghana, Tanzania and several other African countries are greatly affected by mortalities due to Newcastle disease (ND). We tested local ecotypes/breeds in Ghana and Tanzania for genetic variation in growth rate and antibody levels after infection with a La Sota lentogenic ND virusstrain.We identifiedheritable variation in ND virus antibody levels, and in pre-, and post-infection growth rates, which implies that with selective breeding, genetic improvement is possible. One of the Ghanaian ecotypes had a faster growth rate than the otherecotypes, both pre-and post-infection. We however did not find significant differences between the Tanzanian breeds. Results from this study can be used to improveresistance to ND virus inthe local chicken breeds in Ghana and Tanzania, improving food security in these African countries.