william tasiame | Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin / Charité Medical University Berlin (original) (raw)

Papers by william tasiame

Research Square (Research Square), Aug 31, 2020

Background: Apart from the huge worldwide economic losses often occasioned by bovine coronavirus ... more Background: Apart from the huge worldwide economic losses often occasioned by bovine coronavirus (BCoV) to the livestock industry particularly cattle, continuous surveillance of the virus in cattle and small ruminants is essential in monitoring variations in the virus that could enhance host switching. In this study, we collected rectal swabs from a total of 1,498 cattle, sheep and goats. BCoV detection was based on reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Sanger sequencing of the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region for postive samples were done and nucleotide sequences were compared with homologous sequences from the GenBank. Results: The study reports a BCoV prevalence of 0.3% consisting of 4 positive cases; 3 goats and 1 cattle. Less than 10% of all the animals sampled showed clinical signs such as diarrhea and respiratory distress except for high temperature which occurred in > 1000 of the animals. However, none of the 4 BCoV positive animals manifested any clinical signs of the infection at the time of sample collection. Bayesian majorityrule cladogram comparing partial and full length BCoV RdRp genes obtained in the study to data from the GenBank revealed that the sequences obtained from this study formed one large monophyletic group with those from different species and countries. The goat sequences were similar to each other and clustered within the same clade. No major variations were thus observed with our isolates and those from elsewhere. Conclusion: Given that Ghana predominantly practice the extensive and semi-intensive systems of animal rearing, our study highlights the potential for spillover of BCoV to small ruminants in settings with mixed husbandry and limited separation between species.

Epidemiology and Infection, 2020

This retrospective study highlights the degree of losses and time-course through which the 2015 h... more 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.

Viruses

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants and humans. While... more Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants and humans. While neighbouring countries have reported outbreaks of RVF, Ghana has not yet identified any cases. The aim of this study was to determine whether RVF virus (RVFV) was circulating in livestock and herders in the southern part of Ghana, to estimate its seroprevalence, and to identify associated risk factors. The study surveyed 165 livestock farms randomly selected from two districts in southern Ghana. Serum samples of 253 goats, 246 sheep, 220 cattle, and 157 herdsmen were tested to detect IgG and IgM antibodies against RVFV. The overall seroprevalence of anti-RVF antibodies in livestock was 13.1% and 30.9% of farms had RVFV seropositive animals. The species-specific prevalence was 24.1% in cattle, 8.5% in sheep, and 7.9% in goats. A RVFV IgG seroprevalence of 17.8% was found among the ruminant herders, with 8.3% of all herders being IgM positive. RVFV was shown, for the first time, to have b...

Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2021

Background Rabies, caused by a lyssavirus, is a viral zoonosis that affects people in many parts ... more 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 m...

Nigerian Journal of Parasitology, 2021

Guinea fowl production is gaining prominence in Ghana and the major health problems associated is... more Guinea fowl production is gaining prominence in Ghana and the major health problems associated is helminthosis. However, studies on the use of anthelmintics in guinea fowl had been scanty in literature despite research into more effective drug strategies in controlling helminth infections in poultry. This study was carried out to compare the efficacy of piperazine, levamisole and their combination in the control of gastrointestinal worms from August- December 2019. Six-thousand-layer guinea fowls were divided into four groups (1, 2, 3 and 4). Group 1 was treated with piperazine at 100g/100 L of water, Group 2 with levamisole at 100g/200 L of water, Group 3 with a combination of levamisole and piperazine and Group 4 was the control group. All treatments were administered via water medication and the control group was offered plain water. Faecal samples were collected before and after treatment from each bird. Faecal egg count reduction (FECR) rate was determined for each group. Pred...

African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

Background: Avian influenza (AI) is an important zoonotic disease responsible for significant los... more 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 objective 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 subjected 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.

African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic pathogen responsible for great economic losses in most sub-... more 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.

Background: Canine Parvovirus (CPV) in dogs has been documented in many countries. However, evide... more 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. ...

BMC Veterinary Research, 2020

Background Apart from the huge worldwide economic losses often occasioned by bovine coronavirus (... more Background Apart from the huge worldwide economic losses often occasioned by bovine coronavirus (BCoV) to the livestock industry, particularly with respect to cattle rearing, continuous surveillance of the virus in cattle and small ruminants is essential in monitoring variations in the virus that could enhance host switching. In this study, we collected rectal swabs from a total of 1,498 cattle, sheep and goats. BCoV detection was based on reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Sanger sequencing of the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region for postive samples were done and nucleotide sequences were compared with homologous sequences from the GenBank. Results The study reports a BCoV prevalence of 0.3%, consisting of 4 positive cases; 3 goats and 1 cattle. Less than 10% of all the animals sampled showed clinical signs such as diarrhea and respiratory distress except for high temperature which occurred in > 1000 of the animals. However, none of the 4 BCoV pos...

Pan African Medical Journal Conference Proceedings, 2018

Introduction : the high number of annual rabies deaths in people and dogs in West Africa raises a... more Introduction : the high number of annual rabies deaths in people and dogs in West Africa raises a fundamental epidemiological question among stakeholders. Rabies control program has successfully reduced rabies deaths in South America and Australia. Why is the programme not producing the desired effect in West Africa? What are the factors responsible for its failure? Methods : a round table discussion sought to answer the following questions: Why should emphasis be placed on human exposure through dog bites and on fatal human cases of rabies? Whereas, laboratory confirmation of exposure to rabies is infrequently done in West Africa, how can it be performed and why is it important? What should be done to prevent exposure or once exposure has occurred? How should the source of rabies exposure in people be identified? How can the source be located? What should be done and why? Results : frequently, the outbreak of rabies in dogs is identified as the source of human rabies outbreak; hence, it is important for something to be done by the veterinarians and by physicians in post-exposure care of dog bite victims. Vaccination of dogs should be performed not only where dogs have bitten people or exposed to other dogs, but should be universal, no matter how much it costs. Wandering dogs are classified as rabies risks and should be vaccinated.

Pan African Medical Journal, 2019

Veterinary Medicine and Science, 2019

African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2015

Veterinary Microbiology, 2020

The demand for meat from goats and sheep in Ghana far outweighs the local production which calls ... more The demand for meat from goats and sheep in Ghana far outweighs the local production which calls for a scrutiny of animal production systems including foetal wastage at the slaughter houses bearing in mind that there is dearth of information in this area which further hinders prudent planning. The objective of this study is to determine the level of foetal wastage of these small ruminants in the Kumasi abattoir in Ghana. A cross-sectional study was done from January to March 2015 to establish pregnancy status and characteristics of foetuses using visual inspection of the uterus of slaughtered animals. Out of a total of 939 sheep and 3394 goats slaughtered during the period, 733 (78.2%) were ewes and 2637 (77.7%) were does showing a higher propensity of slaughtering female animals and probably a general preference for goats to sheep in the locality. As high as 50.2% of ewes and 20.4% of does were pregnant. More than 85% of gestations were either in the second or third trimester. The...

Research Square (Research Square), Aug 31, 2020

Background: Apart from the huge worldwide economic losses often occasioned by bovine coronavirus ... more Background: Apart from the huge worldwide economic losses often occasioned by bovine coronavirus (BCoV) to the livestock industry particularly cattle, continuous surveillance of the virus in cattle and small ruminants is essential in monitoring variations in the virus that could enhance host switching. In this study, we collected rectal swabs from a total of 1,498 cattle, sheep and goats. BCoV detection was based on reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Sanger sequencing of the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region for postive samples were done and nucleotide sequences were compared with homologous sequences from the GenBank. Results: The study reports a BCoV prevalence of 0.3% consisting of 4 positive cases; 3 goats and 1 cattle. Less than 10% of all the animals sampled showed clinical signs such as diarrhea and respiratory distress except for high temperature which occurred in > 1000 of the animals. However, none of the 4 BCoV positive animals manifested any clinical signs of the infection at the time of sample collection. Bayesian majorityrule cladogram comparing partial and full length BCoV RdRp genes obtained in the study to data from the GenBank revealed that the sequences obtained from this study formed one large monophyletic group with those from different species and countries. The goat sequences were similar to each other and clustered within the same clade. No major variations were thus observed with our isolates and those from elsewhere. Conclusion: Given that Ghana predominantly practice the extensive and semi-intensive systems of animal rearing, our study highlights the potential for spillover of BCoV to small ruminants in settings with mixed husbandry and limited separation between species.

Epidemiology and Infection, 2020

This retrospective study highlights the degree of losses and time-course through which the 2015 h... more 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.

Viruses

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants and humans. While... more Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a re-emerging zoonotic disease of domestic ruminants and humans. While neighbouring countries have reported outbreaks of RVF, Ghana has not yet identified any cases. The aim of this study was to determine whether RVF virus (RVFV) was circulating in livestock and herders in the southern part of Ghana, to estimate its seroprevalence, and to identify associated risk factors. The study surveyed 165 livestock farms randomly selected from two districts in southern Ghana. Serum samples of 253 goats, 246 sheep, 220 cattle, and 157 herdsmen were tested to detect IgG and IgM antibodies against RVFV. The overall seroprevalence of anti-RVF antibodies in livestock was 13.1% and 30.9% of farms had RVFV seropositive animals. The species-specific prevalence was 24.1% in cattle, 8.5% in sheep, and 7.9% in goats. A RVFV IgG seroprevalence of 17.8% was found among the ruminant herders, with 8.3% of all herders being IgM positive. RVFV was shown, for the first time, to have b...

Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2021

Background Rabies, caused by a lyssavirus, is a viral zoonosis that affects people in many parts ... more 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 m...

Nigerian Journal of Parasitology, 2021

Guinea fowl production is gaining prominence in Ghana and the major health problems associated is... more Guinea fowl production is gaining prominence in Ghana and the major health problems associated is helminthosis. However, studies on the use of anthelmintics in guinea fowl had been scanty in literature despite research into more effective drug strategies in controlling helminth infections in poultry. This study was carried out to compare the efficacy of piperazine, levamisole and their combination in the control of gastrointestinal worms from August- December 2019. Six-thousand-layer guinea fowls were divided into four groups (1, 2, 3 and 4). Group 1 was treated with piperazine at 100g/100 L of water, Group 2 with levamisole at 100g/200 L of water, Group 3 with a combination of levamisole and piperazine and Group 4 was the control group. All treatments were administered via water medication and the control group was offered plain water. Faecal samples were collected before and after treatment from each bird. Faecal egg count reduction (FECR) rate was determined for each group. Pred...

African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

Background: Avian influenza (AI) is an important zoonotic disease responsible for significant los... more 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 objective 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 subjected 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.

African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

Background: Brucellosis is a zoonotic pathogen responsible for great economic losses in most sub-... more 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.

Background: Canine Parvovirus (CPV) in dogs has been documented in many countries. However, evide... more 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. ...

BMC Veterinary Research, 2020

Background Apart from the huge worldwide economic losses often occasioned by bovine coronavirus (... more Background Apart from the huge worldwide economic losses often occasioned by bovine coronavirus (BCoV) to the livestock industry, particularly with respect to cattle rearing, continuous surveillance of the virus in cattle and small ruminants is essential in monitoring variations in the virus that could enhance host switching. In this study, we collected rectal swabs from a total of 1,498 cattle, sheep and goats. BCoV detection was based on reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Sanger sequencing of the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region for postive samples were done and nucleotide sequences were compared with homologous sequences from the GenBank. Results The study reports a BCoV prevalence of 0.3%, consisting of 4 positive cases; 3 goats and 1 cattle. Less than 10% of all the animals sampled showed clinical signs such as diarrhea and respiratory distress except for high temperature which occurred in > 1000 of the animals. However, none of the 4 BCoV pos...

Pan African Medical Journal Conference Proceedings, 2018

Introduction : the high number of annual rabies deaths in people and dogs in West Africa raises a... more Introduction : the high number of annual rabies deaths in people and dogs in West Africa raises a fundamental epidemiological question among stakeholders. Rabies control program has successfully reduced rabies deaths in South America and Australia. Why is the programme not producing the desired effect in West Africa? What are the factors responsible for its failure? Methods : a round table discussion sought to answer the following questions: Why should emphasis be placed on human exposure through dog bites and on fatal human cases of rabies? Whereas, laboratory confirmation of exposure to rabies is infrequently done in West Africa, how can it be performed and why is it important? What should be done to prevent exposure or once exposure has occurred? How should the source of rabies exposure in people be identified? How can the source be located? What should be done and why? Results : frequently, the outbreak of rabies in dogs is identified as the source of human rabies outbreak; hence, it is important for something to be done by the veterinarians and by physicians in post-exposure care of dog bite victims. Vaccination of dogs should be performed not only where dogs have bitten people or exposed to other dogs, but should be universal, no matter how much it costs. Wandering dogs are classified as rabies risks and should be vaccinated.

Pan African Medical Journal, 2019

Veterinary Medicine and Science, 2019

African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2016

African Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2015

Veterinary Microbiology, 2020

The demand for meat from goats and sheep in Ghana far outweighs the local production which calls ... more The demand for meat from goats and sheep in Ghana far outweighs the local production which calls for a scrutiny of animal production systems including foetal wastage at the slaughter houses bearing in mind that there is dearth of information in this area which further hinders prudent planning. The objective of this study is to determine the level of foetal wastage of these small ruminants in the Kumasi abattoir in Ghana. A cross-sectional study was done from January to March 2015 to establish pregnancy status and characteristics of foetuses using visual inspection of the uterus of slaughtered animals. Out of a total of 939 sheep and 3394 goats slaughtered during the period, 733 (78.2%) were ewes and 2637 (77.7%) were does showing a higher propensity of slaughtering female animals and probably a general preference for goats to sheep in the locality. As high as 50.2% of ewes and 20.4% of does were pregnant. More than 85% of gestations were either in the second or third trimester. The...