Ghana: Country Profile

In 2018, the Ghanaian government conducted a zoonotic disease prioritization workshop supported by the World Food and Agriculture Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The following diseases were identified as priority areas for intervention in Ghana:

Anthrax is a bacterial infection that typically affects animals and can be transmitted from animals and animal products to humans, with limited human-to-human transmission. In endemic settings, anthrax affects primarily cattle, goats, and sheep, and the bacterial spores can remain in soil for years. The bacteria that causes anthrax can spread to humans through open wounds on the skin, ingestion, or inhalation of the spores. Anthrax outbreaks have occurred occasionally in northern Ghana, typically during the rainy season.

Highly pathogenic Avian influenza (HPAI) is an infection by an influenza virus that can affect almost all species of birds, wild and domestic. HPAI is contagious, especially among poultry such as chickens and turkeys, leading to extremely high mortality when present in factory farms. In 2007, an outbreak of HPAI (H5N1) occurred at a small farm in Ghana and persisted for many years requiring several culling procedures between 2015-2018 to control the spread of the disease.

Rabies remains a widespread disease across the globe, responsible for tens of thousands of deaths worldwide each year. It is a viral infection transmitted by contact with saliva of infected mammals, mainly through bites and scratches and in most places, commonly through dogs. Children are particularly vulnerable to rabies. There were 529 cases of rabies in Ghana between 2018-2022 (Ghana Veterinary Services, 2023). The Disease Surveillance Department of the Ghana Health Services reported that in 2022, there were about 17,000 dog bites, 321 unconfirmed suspected cases and 204 unconfirmed deaths from rabies in the country.

Trypanosomiasis is caused by parasites and is spread through tsetse flies. It may present as a chronic or acute infection that affects the central nervous system. Trypanosomiasis is endemic in Ghana and has a high mortality rate among livestock.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are diseases caused by a group of viruses and include Ebola virus disease (EVD), Lassa Fever, Marburg, and Rift Valley Fever. EVD is an infection caused by a virus of the filovirus family to which the Marburg virus also belongs. Humans are infected with EVD either by direct contact with its natural host, infected bats, or by handling infected dead or sick animals such as antelope and primates. Human-to-human transmission is possible through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or biological fluids of infected individuals. Lassa fever is a disease transmitted through ingestion or inhalation of secretions (urine, feces, blood) of infected mice and specifically the multimammate” or Mastomys type rat. Signs and symptoms of Lassa fever include fever, muscle pain, generalized weakness, diarrhea, and bleeding from orifices. Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is an infection that spreads most commonly to humans from livestock or wild animals via mosquitoes. The disease can also spread through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of animals such as sheep, goats and camels. RVF can cause spontaneous abortion in animals, and assisting with abortions is a common source of exposure to the disease. Farmers, abattoir workers, and veterinary or laboratory staff are high risk groups for RVF.

Zoonotic (or Bovine) tuberculosis is caused by the bacterial species Mycobacterium bovis and causes tuberculosis in primarily cattle but is also found in other farm animals such as pigs and goats, and in wild animals like deer. Although individuals who work with cattle are most at risk for this disease, anyone can get zoonotic tuberculosis through consumption, a cut or scratch, or via respiratory transmission. People in Ghana are at risk due to the prevalence of cattle rearing professions and considerable cattle mobility.