CTSI Announcement

Tick-borne pathogens, transmitted by ticks, infect humans and animals worldwide. The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, is a significant vector of a number of pathogens, including Ehrlichia canis, Rickettsia and Anaplasma species. In Ghana, there is limited information on the pathogens carried by Rh. sanguineus s.l. As such, Rh. sanguineus ticks taken from domestic dogs in Kumasi were screened for tick-borne pathogens, including Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia, Babesia, Theileria, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Hepatozoon species. A total of 204 ticks collected from 56 infested dogs were morphologically identified as Rh. sanguineus s.l. From the 88 pools screened, 36 (40.9%) were positive for pathogen DNA. The pathogens identified were Rickettsia africae (5 pools), Ehrlichia canis (10 pools) and uncultured Anaplasma sp. (21 pools) with maximum likelihood estimates as 2.48% (95% CI: 0.93, 5.38%), 5.22% (95% CI: 2.69, 9.15%) and 11.20% (95% CI: 7.32, 16.29%), respectively. There was no association between the detection of a pathogen and the tick sex or dog breed, age or sex. This study provides important baseline data on the circulation of tick-borne pathogens in Rh. sanguineus s.l. ticks in Kumasi, with implications for both veterinary and human health. The presence of uncultured Anaplasma sp. suggests a wider diversity of tick-borne bacteria with unknown pathogenicity. There is a need for integrated tick control, improved diagnosis and additional epidemiological studies to mitigate the impact of tick-borne diseases in Ghana.

Infectious Disease Research & Epidemiology | Wake Forest School of Medicine

Despite being entirely preventable, dog rabies causes 60,000 human deaths annually. Research in Arequipa, Peru explores how facility location algorithms and staggered vaccination campaigns can…

The Wake Forest School of Medicine Section on Infectious Diseases integrates clinical excellence, epidemiology, and data‑driven modeling to address emerging and endemic infectious threats.

The Wake Forest School of Medicine Section on Infectious Diseases integrates clinical excellence, epidemiology, and data‑driven modeling to address emerging and endemic infectious threats.

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