Name: Believe AHEDOR
Affiliation: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana
Position: Research Fellow
Term: October 2025 – March 2026
Host researcher: Prof. Naoaki Yokoyama
Circumstances of application:
After I completed my doctoral studies at the NRCPD, OUAVM in 2024, I continued my research on the vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) affecting livestock, and wildlife-associated ticks in Ghana. However, due to resource constraints and limited access to reference DNA materials, I applied for the post of Foreign Visiting Researcher at the NRCPD, to conduct comprehensive investigation of piroplasm species and other zoonotic tick-borne pathogens infecting livestock and wildlife.
Research activity in NRCPD:
Blood samples were collected from 205 equids (horses and donkeys) and 221 cattle, in addition to 412 ticks collected from wildlife in Ghana. Thin blood smears were prepared from equine blood samples for microscopic examination, and sera from horses were used for serological analyses. Genomic DNA was extracted from all blood samples and subjected to species- and group-specific PCR assays targeting Babesia, Theileria, Trypanosoma, Anaplasma, and Rickettsia species. Among equids, Theileria equi and Babesia caballi were detected by both microscopy and PCR, while serological analyses indicated higher levels of exposure to both parasites. Sequence analyses revealed multiple T. equi genotypes (A, C, and D) based on the 18S rRNA gene, whereas B. caballi genotyping using the rap-1 gene identified genotypes A1 and B, indicating substantial genetic diversity with important implications for the epidemiology and control of equine piroplasmosis in Ghana. In cattle, a broad range of haemopathogens was identified, including Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. occultans, Trypanosoma theileri, and Theileria parva, T. ovis, T. velifera, and T. mutans, alongside Anaplasma ovis, A. marginale, and several uncharacterised Anaplasma spp., reflecting a high burden of co-circulating infections. Tick specimens were morphologically identified as Ixodes aulacodi, I. cumulatimpunctatus, Amblyomma variegatum, Haemaphysalis muhsamae, Hyalomma truncatum, and Rhipicephalus spp. Notably, one H. muhsamae specimen tested positive for Babesia microti (Munich-type), representing the first molecular evidence of this parasite in Ghana. Additional detections included Babesia leo and uncharacterised Babesia spp., as well as zoonotic bacteria such as Rickettsia africae, R. sibirica, R. massiliae, and R. helvetica, all of which are associated with spotted fever in humans, alongside uncharacterised Anaplasma spp. These findings demonstrate a complex circulation of veterinary and zoonotic tick-borne pathogens at the wildlife–livestock interface in Ghana, with significant implications for both animal and public health.
Future prospects:
I will publish the findings of this study in peer-reviewed journals, and continue to expand surveillance of VBPs, with focus on the zoonotic pathogens, at the wildlife–livestock–human interface across diverse ecological zones of Ghana.