Artikel
The status of filoviruses (Marburg) in bats and domestic animals in Ghana
Suche in Medline nach
Autoren
-
Theophilus Odoom
- German-West Africa Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC); Accra Veterinary Laboratory, Accra, Ghana; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
-
Philip El-Duah
- German-West Africa Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC); Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
-
John Humphrey Amuasi
- German-West Africa Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC); Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research Tropical Medicine, Ghana; Bernhard Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
-
Raphael Folitse
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
-
Benjamin Emikpe
- German-West Africa Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC); Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
-
Walter Bruchhausen
- German-West Africa Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC); Section Global Health, University Hospital Bonn, Germany
-
Christian Drosten
- German-West Africa Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC); Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| Veröffentlicht: | 28. November 2023 |
|---|
Gliederung
Text
Project description: Marburg virus (MARV) is a hemorrhagic fever virus that causes disease in both humans and nonhuman primates. The virus belongs to the family Filoviridae which includes the Ebola virus known for epidemics with high mortality in Africa. Previous studies suggest that fruit bats are reservoir hosts for these filoviruses with pigs and other domestic animals serving as amplifying hosts. However, this is not definitively known. There was an index case of Marburg in Ghana in 2022 which resulted in two deaths. Domesticated animals are widely used as food sources, companion animals, or as a workforce in these areas where Marburg has occurred in Ghana and should be investigated for their potential role in virus transmission. This study investigates the presence of Marburg virus in bats, livestock, and pets in selected zones in Ghana.
Bat and livestock tissues and sera will be collected from selected study sites in Ghana and stored in Accra Veterinary Laboratory until samples are tested. Structured questionnaires will be administered to farmers and data will be collected using Kobo Collect Toolbox. Serological and reverse transcription PCR techniques will be used for sample testing and further analysis will include high-throughput next generation sequencing.
Expected results: Seroprevalence and risk factors of Marburg in bats and livestock animals will be determined. The possible sequence of events to predict linkage for spillover will be understood. The interaction between wildlife, companion animals and humans in the affected communities will be better understood.
Lesson learned: The findings from this study will be useful for: Informing the design of MARV surveillance in Ghana as currently does not exist in any policy document. Implementing strategies for the control of filoviruses in Ghana. Implementing evidence-based targeted public health messaging to at-risk communities to reduce the risk of spillovers. We have learnt that we can develop a diagnostic tool in our laboratories for the purpose of research and diagnosis for MARV in Ghana.
