# Occurrence of Tick‐Borne Pathogens in Rhipicephalus sanguineus Sensu Lato From Domestic Dogs in Kumasi, Ghana

## TL;DR

This study identifies tick-borne pathogens in dog ticks from Kumasi, Ghana, highlighting the presence of Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma with implications for human and animal health.

## Contribution

The study provides the first baseline data on tick-borne pathogens in Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks in Ghana.

## Key findings

- 36 out of 88 tick pools tested positive for pathogen DNA.
- Uncultured Anaplasma sp. was the most prevalent pathogen detected.
- No association was found between pathogen detection and tick or dog characteristics.

## Abstract

Tick‐borne pathogens, transmitted by ticks, infect humans and animals worldwide. The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, is a significant vector of a number of pathogens, including Ehrlichia canis, Rickettsia and Anaplasma species. In Ghana, there is limited information on the pathogens carried by Rh. sanguineus s.l. As such, Rh. sanguineus ticks taken from domestic dogs in Kumasi were screened for tick‐borne pathogens, including Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia, Babesia, Theileria, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Hepatozoon species. A total of 204 ticks collected from 56 infested dogs were morphologically identified as Rh. sanguineus s.l. From the 88 pools screened, 36 (40.9%) were positive for pathogen DNA. The pathogens identified were Rickettsia africae (5 pools), Ehrlichia canis (10 pools) and uncultured Anaplasma sp. (21 pools) with maximum likelihood estimates as 2.48% (95% CI: 0.93, 5.38%), 5.22% (95% CI: 2.69, 9.15%) and 11.20% (95% CI: 7.32, 16.29%), respectively. There was no association between the detection of a pathogen and the tick sex or dog breed, age or sex. This study provides important baseline data on the circulation of tick‐borne pathogens in Rh. sanguineus s.l. ticks in Kumasi, with implications for both veterinary and human health. The presence of uncultured Anaplasma sp. suggests a wider diversity of tick‐borne bacteria with unknown pathogenicity. There is a need for integrated tick control, improved diagnosis and additional epidemiological studies to mitigate the impact of tick‐borne diseases in Ghana.