Rabies is still a fatal but neglected disease: a case report.

BACKGROUND: 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. Nearly half of rabies cases occur in children <15 years old. We report on a fatal case of rabies in a Ghanaian school child 5 years after the exposure incident, and the vital role of molecular tools in the confirmation of the diagnosis. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient, an 11-year-old junior high school Ghanaian student from the Obuasi Municipality in Ghana, presented with aggressive behavior, which rapidly progressed to confusion and loss of consciousness within a day of onset. Her parents reported that the patient had experienced a bite from a stray dog on her right leg 5 years prior to presentation, for which no antirabies prophylaxis was given. The patient died within minutes of arrival in hospital (within 24 hours of symptom onset). Real-time polymerase chain reaction testing of cerebrospinal fluid obtained after her death confirmed the diagnosis of rabies. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis showed the virus to belong to the Africa 2 lineage of rabies viruses, which is one of the predominant circulating lineages in Ghana. CONCLUSION: The incubation period of rabies is highly variable so patients may only present with symptoms long after the exposure incident. Appropriate molecular testing tools, when available as part of rabies control programmes, are vital in confirming cases of rabies.

Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Ghana, 2015: degree of losses and outcomes of time-course outbreak management.

This retrospective study highlights the degree of losses and time-course through which the 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in Ghana were managed. A total of 102 760 birds from 35 farms across five regions in Ghana included in this study were affected. Out of this, 89.3% was from the Greater Accra region. Majority of the birds were culled (94.2%). Adult layers were most affected and destroyed (64.0%), followed by broilers (13.7%). Event initiation to reporting averaged 7.7 ± 1.3 days (range: 1-30 days). Laboratory confirmation to depopulation of birds averaged 2.2 ± 0.5 (0-15) days while depopulation to disinfection took 2.2 ± 0.7 (0-20) days. Overall, some farms took as long as 30 days to report the outbreak to the authorities, 15 days from confirmation to depopulation and 20 days from depopulation to disinfection. On average, outbreak management lasted 12.3 (2-43) days from event initiation to depopulation. The study reveals a significant number of avian losses and delays in HPAI reporting and management by the authorities in Ghana during the 2015 outbreak. This poses a high risk of spread to other farms and a threat to public health. Awareness creation for poultry farmers is necessary for early reporting, while further study is required to set thresholds for the management of such outbreaks by veterinary departments.

DETECTION OF CANINE PARVOVIRUS ANTIGEN IN DOGS IN KUMASI, GHANA.

BACKGROUND: Canine Parvovirus (CPV) in dogs has been documented in many countries. However, evidence of the infection is scanty in Ghana. This study was conducted to detect canine parvovirus antigen in dogs presented with diarrhoea to the Government Veterinary Clinic in Kumasi, Ghana. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Faecal samples from 72 dogs presented with diarrhoea were tested for the presence of canine parvovirus antigen using commercially available rapid test kit (BIT® Rapid Colour Canine Parvovirus Ag Test Kit, BIOINDIST Co. Ltd, Korea) based on the principle of immunochromatography. Influence of breed, sex, age, vaccination history and the nature of diarrhoea were assessed. Data obtained was analysed with SPSS and subjected to the chi-square test. Significance was at α0.05. RESULTS: We found 61.11% tested positive (44/72) for CPV. Based on sex, 61.54% of males (20/33) and 60.61% of females tested positive (24/39). A total of 65.67% of samples from puppies below 6 months were positive. 56.25% of CPV vaccinated dogs and 70.83% of unvaccinated dogs were positive respectively. 69.05% of samples from haemorrhagic diarrhoeic dogs and 50.00% from non-haemorrhagic diarrhoeic dogs were positive of CPV. CONCLUSION: The study is the first documented evidence of the existence of CPV in Ghana. It also revealed that absence of bloody diarrhoea does not necessarily rule out CPV infection.

THE PREVALENCE OF BRUCELLOSIS IN CATTLE AND THEIR HANDLERS IN NORTH TONGU DISTRICT OF VOLTA REGION, GHANA.

BACKGROUND: Brucellosis is a zoonotic pathogen responsible for great economic losses in most sub-Saharan nations. Although Ghana has successfully implemented the "One Health" initiative for the control of some emerging infectious zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential like Avian Influenza, there is very limited data available on brucellosis especially human brucellosis prevalence. He objective of his study is to determine the seroprevalence of human and bovine brucellosis as well as the predisposing factors at the community level in the North Tongu District of Ghana. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rose Bengal Plate test (RBPT) was used to analyze blood samples from 178 cattle farmers, and 315 cattle. The positive samples were further confirmed with cELISA. Predisposing factors were determined by questionnaires administered to cattle farmers. All sample sites were geo-referenced. RESULTS: Human and bovine brucellosis seroprevalence using RBPT were 10.1% and 22.9% respectively. Eighty six percent (62/72) of bovine cases were confirmed with ELISA. Delivery assistants were more likely to be infected (p=0.043) with odds ratio of 2.7. Out of the human cases (18), males constituted 88.9%. Ages 11-20 years recorded 77.7% seropositivity whilst cattle drovers represented 44.5% (8/18) of positives. Significant risk factors in cattle were herd size (p=0.037), history of retained placenta (0.000) and abortion (0.005). CONCLUSION: Bovine and human brucellosis is prevalent in North Tongu district, Ghana. Close contact with parturient cows was a major predisposing factor for human infection. Early referral of positive persons to the Hospital for confirmation and treatment is required to comply with the "One Health" initiative on brucellosis and other zoonoses.

THE EVALUATION OF DOMESTIC DUCKS AS POTENTIAL RESERVOIR OF AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS IN POST HPAI H5N1 OUTBREAK AREA, SUNYANI MUNICIPALITY, BRONG AHAFO REGION OF GHANA.

BACKGROUND: Avian influenza (AI) is an important zoonotic disease responsible for significant losses in most sub-Saharan countries. However, the role of poultry other than chicken in the epidemiology of the disease, especially after the first AI outbreak in Ghana, has not been fully elucidated. The obiective of this study is to determine whether the AI virus infection that was reported in the area in May 2007 was circulating silently in ducks in nine randomly selected farms in the Sunyani Municipality, Ghana. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample size was calculated using Epi info version 3.4.1 at 95% confidence level, absolute precision of 5% and assuming 0.5 prevalence of Avian Influenza A virus in ducks. Samples collection was done simultaneously with questionnaire administration to farmers. A total of 526 samples made up of 384 cloacal swabs and 142 feather tissues from ducks from a commercial duck farm, seven backyard holdings and one live birds market in six randomly selected communities in the Sunyani Municipality, Brong Ahafo region of Ghana. The samples were processed and subjected to Influenza Type A Matrix Gene analysis using RRT-PCR. RESULTS: All the 526 samples subiected to Influenza Type A Matrix Gene analysis using RRT-PCR were negative for Influenza Type A viruses. However, it was observed that bio-security practices which are keys to reintroduction of the virus in the area were not adhered to in 89 % of the sites investigated. Our finding also revealed that only the commercial farm investigated in this study complied with fifteen (78.9%) of the nineteen different farm practices observed. CONCLUSION: Though AI was not detected in the ducks sampled, there is the need for continuous surveillance and education of stakeholders on standard bio-security and farm management practices in the area.