Ticks and tick-borne pathogens in selected abattoirs and a slaughter slab in Kumasi, Ghana.

Background: Ticks are vectors of pathogens that affect the health of animals and humans. With the constant trade of livestock across borders, there is the risk of new tick species invasion accompanied by the spread of infectious tick-borne pathogens.

Aim: This study sought to determine the diversity of tick species within abattoirs and a slaughter slab as well as identify the pathogens carried by these ticks.

Molecular Detection of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Kumasi: With a First Report of Zoonotic Pathogens in Abattoir Workers.

Tick-borne pathogens continue to infect humans and animals worldwide. By adapting to the movement of livestock, ticks facilitate the spread of these infectious pathogens. Humans in close contact with animals that could be amplifying hosts are especially at risk of being infected with tick-borne pathogens.

Molecular identification of cattle ticks in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana: a high occurrence of Rhipicephalus microplus.

Ticks are competent vectors of a wide range of pathogens. They are of veterinary and public health importance as they affect both animal and human health. Transhumance and the transboundary movements of cattle within the West African Sub-region have facilitated the spread of ticks which threatens the introduction of invasive species.

Tick-borne pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance in cattle ticks in Ghana.

Ticks are important vectors involved in the transmission of pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance. In this study, ticks were collected from cattle in Navrongo, Kintampo, and Kumasi and screened for pathogen DNA using PCR and Sanger sequencing. A total of 454 ticks were collected, morphologically identified and confirmed using primers that target the 660-bp segment of the mitochondrial COI gene.