Browsing by Author "Bentil, R.E."
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Item Detection Of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus And Rickettsia Spp. In Ticks And Disease Exposure Of Livestock Handlers In The Greater Accra And Upper East Regions Of Ghana(University of Ghana, 2022-10) Bentil, R.E.Ticks are important blood-sucking arthropod vectors. They are known to spread a wide range of diseases that cause severe and life-threatening illnesses in humans and animals all over the world through feeding. In population-dense and trade-dominant areas such as the Greater Accra and Upper East Regions, the risk of zoonotic infections may be on the rise. This study, therefore, sought to identify the circulating tick species, assess the pathogens they carry and the risk of exposure of primary animal handlers. A total of 705 ticks were collected from cattle (n=188) and horses (n=11). Three tick genera (Hyalomma, Amblyomma and Rhipicephalus) were observed in the study with the predominant species being Hyalomma rufipes (n=290, 41.13%), followed by Amblyomma variegatum (n=157, 22.27%) and the least, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n=1, 0.14%). It was also observed that the preferred point of attachment of all identified ticks was predominantly the Anal region (n=469, 68.37%) with the least site being the Abdominal region (n=5, 0.73%) for cattle except for Horses that had the least site being the chest (n=1, 5.26%). Out of the 705 tick samples, it was observed that in the Upper East Region, higher percentage of ticks collected (62.67%) were infected with Rickettsia as compared to ticks from Greater Accra (42.13%). Similarly, slightly more ticks were infected with Rickettsia africae in the Upper East Region (91.8%) than Greater Accra (91.38%). In addition, although Amblyomma variegatum was the second most prevalent species identified, the highest Rickettsia and Rickettsia africae infection rates were recorded in this species. The highest CCHFV infection rates were observed in Hyalomma rufipes. Serology carried out for a total of 120 human sera samples, for Rickettsia using an in-house ELISA revealed that 27.50% had been exposed to Spotted Fever Group (SFG) and 4.17% to Typhus Group (TG) and none exposed to the Scrub Typhus group (STG). Furthermore, preliminary analysis for antibodies to CCHFV IgG was detected in 42.5% of the human serum (n=120) samples pending confirmatory Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT). This study further reports the first whole-genome sequencing of CCHFV in tick species within Ghana with sequence analysis revealing genotype III (Africa III) may be circulating in the Upper East Region of Ghana. This suggests the possible importation of the CCHFV virus into the country through trade and thus puts livestock and humans who may have primary contact with livestock at risk of infection of these diseases.Item Detection of Leishmania DNA in Phlebotomine Sand Flies in Tsatee, a Community in the Volta Region, Ghana(BioMed Research International, 2023) Addo, S.O.; Amoako, E.K.; Bentil, R.E.Leishmania parasites, which are spread by infected female sand flies, are the cause of the disease leishmaniasis. Although cutaneous leishmaniasis has been found to occur in the Volta Region, there is limited data on vector species and reservoirs. This study focused on the Tsatee community, in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region, and is aimed at identifying the sand fly fauna and detecting the presence of Leishmania DNA by the use of primers that target the conserved region of Leishmania spp. minicircle DNA of the parasite kinetoplast. The miniature light traps and hand aspirators provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were used to collect outdoor and indoor sand flies for five months in a guinea woodland and semideciduous forest area. From the collections, 4,580 phlebotomine sand flies were obtained and identified, and females were examined for Leishmania DNA using PCR. The male flies were 1,202 (26.24%), non-blood-fed females were 3,321 (72.51%), and 57 (1.25%) were blood-fed females. It was observed that Sergentomyia species constituted 99.91% of the total collected sand flies with S. africana (76.77%) as the predominant species. Phlebotomus rodhaini (0.09%) was the only Phlebotomus species identified from the study area. From 283 non-blood-fed sand fly pools and 57 individual blood-fed species screened, Leishmania DNA was detected in 12 (4.24%) pools and 8 (14.04%) individuals, respectively. It was observed that Leishmania DNA was detected in all the sand fly species identified except S. collarti. This study reports the first detection of Leishmania DNA in P. rodhaini in Ghana, with an infection rate of 33.33% (95% CI, 1.23-88.32). The findings suggest that the role of Phlebotomus in disease transmission in the study area cannot be discounted. Future studies should include continuous surveillance, blood meal preferences, and vector competence of the various infected phlebotomine sand flies to create effective control measures.Item First molecular identifcation of multiple tick-borne pathogens in livestock within Kassena-Nankana, Ghana(Animal Diseases, 2023) Addo, S.O.; Bentil, R.E.; Yartey, K.N.; Ansah‑Owusu, J.; Behene, E.; Opoku‑Agyeman, P.; Bruku, S.; Wilson, M.D.; Dadzie, S.K.; et al.The risk of pathogen transmission continues to increase significantly in the presence of tick vectors due to the trade of livestock across countries. In Ghana, there is a lack of data on the incidence of tick-borne pathogens that are of zoonotic and veterinary importance. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the prevalence of such pathogens in livestock using molecular approaches. A total of 276 dry blood spots were collected from cattle (100), sheep (95) and goats (81) in the Kassena-Nankana Districts. The samples were analyzed using Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and conventional assays and Sanger sequencing that targeted pathogens including Rickettsia, Coxiella, Babesia, Theileria, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. An overall prevalence of 36.96% was recorded from the livestock DBS, with mixed infections seen in 7.97% samples. Furthermore, the prevalence of infections in livestock was recorded to be 19.21% in sheep, 14.13% in cattle, and 3.62% in goats. The pathogens identified were Rickettsia spp. (3.26%), Babesia sp. Lintan (8.70%), Theileria orientalis (2.17%), Theileria parva (0.36%), Anaplasma capra (18.48%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (1.81%), Anaplasma marginale (3.26%) and Anaplasma ovis (7.25%). This study reports the first molecular identification of the above-mentioned pathogens in livestock in Ghana and highlights the use of dry blood spots in resource-limited settings. In addition, this research provides an update on tick-borne pathogens in Ghana, suggesting risks to livestock production and human health. Further studies will be essential to establish the distribution and epidemiology of these pathogens in Ghana.Item First Whole Genome Sequencing of Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) in Tick Species within Ghana(Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2023) Bentil, R.E.; Addo, S.O.; Dadzie, S.K.; et al.Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a serious viral zoonotic disease spread by ticks and caused by the Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). The emergence and reemergence of CCHF in various nations in the Eastern Mediterranean Region over the last decade have shown a growing risk of the disease spreading to new areas, especially in population-dense and livestock trade-dominant areas. There is a lack of updated information on the risk of CCHFV in the Greater Accra and Upper East Regions of Ghana. Due to the paucity of available data, this study sought to identify the tick species diversity in Ghana and to ascertain the CCHFV strains they may carry. A total of 705 ticks were collected from 188 cattle and 11 horses and morphologically identified. Three tick genera (Hyalomma, Amblyomma, and Rhipicephalus) were observed, with the predominant species being Hyalomma rufipes (n = 290, 41.1%). The CCHFV infection rates of 0.78%, 0.69%, and 0.64% were recorded in Hyalomma truncatum, H. rufipes, and Amblyomma variegatum, respectively. No infection was detected in the Rhipicephalus species. Furthermore, a strain was successfully recovered using next-generation sequencing. The strain belongs to genotype 3 and shared 98.9% nucleotide identity with DQ211641_Mauritania_1984 and MF287636_Spain_2016. Findings from this study suggest the possible importation of the virus into the country through trade, and potentially, a public health threat to humans who may have primary contact with livestockItem Occurrence of Rickettsia spp. and Coxiella burnetii in ixodid ticks in Kassena-Nankana, Ghana(Springer Science and Business, 2023) Bentil, R.E.; Addo, S.O.; Baako, B.O.A.; et al.Abstract Ticks are arthropods of veterinary and medical importance which spread zoonotic pathogens that link animal and human health. In this study, ticks were collected from 448 livestock between February and December 2020 in the Kassena-Nankana Districts of Ghana and screened for the presence of zoonotic pathogens DNA using PCR and sequencing approaches. In total, 1550 ticks were collected and morphologically identified. Three tick genera were identified with Amblyomma variegatum (63%) as the predominant tick species collected. DNA was extracted from 491 tick pools and screened for the presence of DNA of Rickettsia spp. based on the 115 bp fragment of the 17 kDa surface protein and 639 bp of the Outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene and the 295 bp fragment of the transposase gene of Coxiella burnetii IS1111a element. From the 491 pools screened, the DNA of Rickettsia spp. and C. burnetii was detected in 56.8 and 3.7%, respectively. Coinfections were identified in 2.4% of the tick pools. Characterization of the Rickettsia spp. in this study based on the ompA gene showed that the DNA of Rickettsia africae and Rickettsia aeschlimannii accounted for 39.7 and 14.7%, respectively, and were 100% similar to sequences in GenBank. Most R. africae and C. burnetii infections occurred in ticks collected in the wet season, whereas R. aeschlimannii occurred mostly in the dry season. These pathogens are potential public health threats, thus there is a need to implement control measures to reduce the risk of infections in vulnerable populations.Item Spatial and Seasonal Patterns of Tick Infestations in Kassena-Nankana Livestock(Veterinary Medicine International, 2024) Addo, S.O.; Bentil, R.E.; Ansah-Owusu, J.; Dunford, J.C.; et al.The ability of ticks to adapt to different ecological zones, coupled with the spread of infectious pathogens, negatively affects livestock production and thus, there is a need for better control strategies. However, control measures within a geographical region can only be effective if there is available information on tick population dynamics and ecology. This study focused on ticks infesting livestock in the Kassena-Nankana Districts of the Upper East Region of Ghana. The ticks were morphologically identified, and variables such as season, animal host, and predilection sites were recorded, and the data were analyzed using STATA version 13. Out of 448 livestock examined, tick infestation in cattle was 78.60%, followed by sheep (25%) and goats (5.88%). A total of 1,550 ticks, including nymphs (303) and adults (1,247) were collected. Adult ticks were found to be significantly associated with season (p < 0.001), with a high burden in the wet season. The nymph burden and body parts of livestock hosts were significantly associated with more nymphs collected from male animals than females (p < 0.001). Tree genera of ticks: Amblyomma (62.97%), Hyalomma (18.71%), and Rhipicephalus (18.32%) were morphologically identified with the most predominant tick species recorded as Amblyomma variegatum (62.97%). Mature A. variegatum was sampled primarily in the wet season, with their predilection site as the udder/scrotum (p < 0.001). However, adult Hyalomma truncatum was observed to have a significant association with the anal region (p < 0.001). Findings from this study are essential for formulating tick control measures to prevent the spread of infectious pathogens.Item Ticks and prevalence of tick‑borne pathogens from domestic animals in Ghana(Parasites & Vectors, 2022) Nimo‑Paintsil, S.C.; Mosore, M.; Addo, S.O.; Lura, T.; Tagoe, J.; Ladzekpo, D.; Addae, C.; Bentil, R.E.; Behene, E.; Dafeamekpor, C.; Asoala, V.; Fox, A.; Watters, C.M.; Koehler, J.W.; Schoepp, R.J.; Arimoto, H.; Dadzie, S.; Letizia, A.; Diclaro, J.W.Background: Ticks are important vectors of various pathogenic protozoa, bacteria and viruses that cause serious and life-threatening illnesses in humans and animals worldwide. Estimating tick-borne pathogen prevalence in tick populations is necessary to delineate how geographical differences, environmental variability and host factors influence pathogen prevalence and transmission. This study identified ticks and tick-borne pathogens in samples collected from June 2016 to December 2017 at seven sites within the Coastal, Sudan and Guinea savanna ecological zones of Ghana. Methods: A total of 2016 ticks were collected from domestic animals including cattle, goats and dogs. Ticks were morphologically identified and analyzed for pathogens such as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), Alkhurma haemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV), Rickettsia spp. and Coxiella burnetii using polymerase chain reaction assays (PCR) and sequence analysis. Results: Seven species were identifed, with Amblyomma variegatum (60%) most frequently found, followed by Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (21%), Rhipicephalus spp. (9%), Hyalomma truncatum (6%), Hyalomma rufpes (3%), Rhipicephalus evertsi (1%) and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) sp. (0.1%). Out of 912 pools of ticks tested, Rickettsia spp. and Coxiella burnetii DNA was found in 45.6% and 16.7% of pools, respectively, whereas no CCHFV or AHFV RNA were detected. Co-infection of bacterial DNA was identified in 9.6% of tick pools, with no statistical difference among the ecozones studied. Conclusions: Based on these data, humans and animals in these ecological zones are likely at the highest risk of exposure to rickettsiosis, since ticks infected with Rickettsia spp. displayed the highest rates of infection and co-infection with C. burnetii, compared to other tick-borne pathogens in Ghana.Item Whole Genome Sequencing and Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from Surgical Site Infections in Ghana(MDPI, 2021) Egyir, B.; Bentum, J.; Attram, N.; Fox, A.; Obeng-Nkrumah, N.; Appiah-Korang, L.; Behene, E.; Kumordjie, S.; Yeboah, C.; Agbodzi, B.; Bentil, R.E.; Tagoe, R.; Tabi, B.K.A.; Owusu, F.; Dayie, N.T.K.D.; Donkor, E.S.; Nsaful, J.; Asah-Opoku, K.; Nyarko, E.; Asumanu, E.; Larsen, A.R.; Wolfe, D.M.; Letizia, A.G.Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common cause of surgical site infections (SSIs) globally. Data on the occurrence of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) as well as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) among patients with surgical site infections (SSIs) in sub-Saharan African are scarce. We characterized S. aureus from SSIs in Ghana using molecular methods and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Wound swabs or aspirate samples were collected from subjects with SSIs. S. aureus was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS); AST was performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion, and results were interpreted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. Detection of spa, mecA, and pvl genes was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was done using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Samples were collected from 112 subjects, with 13 S. aureus isolates recovered. Of these, 92% were sensitive to co-trimoxazole, 77% to clindamycin, and 54% to erythromycin. Multi-drug resistance was detected in 5 (38%) isolates. The four mecA gene-positive MRSA isolates detected belonged to ST152 (n = 3) and ST5 (n = 1). In total, 62% of the isolates were positive for the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl) toxin gene. This study reports, for the first time, a pvl-positive ST152-t355 MRSA clone from SSIs in Ghana. The occurrence of multi-drug-resistant S. aureus epidemic clones suggests that continuous surveillance is required to monitor the spread and resistance trends of S. aureus in hospital settings in the country.