Detection of anti-ebolavirus antibodies in Ghanaian pigs.

Some filoviruses such as ebolaviruses and marburgviruses, cause hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates. Pigs are suggested to play a potential role in the filovirus ecology. We investigated the seroprevalence of filovirus infection in pigs in Ghana. Using a viral glycoprotein (GP)-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we detected filovirus-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies in 5 of 139 samples. These positive sera showed specificities to four different filovirus species. Particularly, two of the positive sera reacted to GPs of two African ebolaviruses (i.e., Ebola virus and Taï Forest virus) in Western blotting. Our results suggest that these Ghanaian pigs were exposed to multiple filoviruses and emphasize the importance of continuous monitoring of filovirus infection in pig populations in West African countries.

Protected but not from Contamination: Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bacteria from Birds in a Ghanaian Forest Protected Area.

Resistance to antimicrobial agents is a growing concern in public health. It has been reported in wildlife from several places in the world though wild animals are not normally exposed to clinically used antimicrobial agents. Despite this, very little research has been done in Ghana to determine antimicrobial resistance in wild animals, particularly those in protected areas. In this study, the presence of colistin resistant and multidrug resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria in cloacal swabs of wild birds captured in a Ghanaian forest protected area were evaluated. A total of 195 isolates from 138 individual birds were obtained, identified and tested for resistance to colistin. The colistin-resistant isolates were subsequently tested for multidrug resistance to 4 other antimicrobial agents (Oxytetracycline, Streptomycin, Ampicillin and Ciprofloxacin). Colistin resistance was observed in 6.5% (9/138) of the birds and this was seen in only birds that were sampled close to the reception area of the protected area. About 50% of the colistin-resistant isolates were multidrug resistant. AMR isolates were obtained from birds that have been documented to show an insectivorous or omnivorous feeding preference. Data obtained from the study suggests that AMR and MDR occurred in wild birds from the Conservation Area and supports the claim that proximity to human impacted habitats (settlements/farmlands) increased the likelihood of carriage of AMR. Though the routes of transmission remain unclear, there is potential for spread from the wild birds to other wild/domestic animals and possibly back to humans.