Publications by authors named "W Tasiame"
Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a zoonotic hemorrhagic disease with an estimated case fatality rate of up to 88%. Ghana recorded its first human MVD outbreak in June 2022 and although the outbreak was quickly brought under control, the transmission dynamics of the disease remained unclear. We assessed the presence of Marburg virus (MARV) antibodies in livestock and dogs and identified associated risk factors that increased the risk of these animals being exposed to MARV in five regions of Ghana.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - Rabies is a major public health concern in Ghana, particularly in rural areas with limited healthcare access, as it mainly spreads through bites from infected dogs and leads to numerous deaths each year.
- - Current efforts, like dog vaccination campaigns, face significant limitations due to low vaccination rates, poor surveillance, and inadequate cooperation between sectors.
- - The paper advocates for implementing One Health principles, which connect human, animal, and environmental health initiatives, to enhance rabies control in Ghana and aim for elimination by 2030.
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants and humans. While neighbouring countries have reported outbreaks of RVF, Ghana has not yet identified any cases. The aim of this study was to determine whether RVF virus (RVFV) was circulating in livestock and herders in the southern part of Ghana, to estimate its seroprevalence, and to identify associated risk factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Rabies, caused by a lyssavirus, is a viral zoonosis that affects people in many parts of the world, especially those in low income countries. Contact with domestic animals, especially dogs, is the main source of human infections. Humans may present with the disease only after a long period of exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDog-mediated rabies is responsible for approximately 60,000 human deaths annually worldwide. Although dog slaughter for human consumption and its potential risk for rabies transmission has been reported, mainly in some parts of Western Africa and South-East Asia, more information on this and factors that influence dog meat consumption is required for a better understanding from places like Ghana where the practice is common. We tested 144 brain tissues from apparently healthy dogs slaughtered for human consumption for the presence of rabies viruses using a Lyssavirus-specific real-Time RT-PCR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF