ABSTRACT
Because some bats host viruses with zoonotic potential, we investigated human-bat interactions in rural Ghana during 2011-2012. Nearly half (46.6%) of respondents regularly visited bat caves; 37.4% had been bitten, scratched, or exposed to bat urine; and 45.6% ate bat meat. Human-bat interactions in rural Ghana are frequent and diverse.
Subject(s)
Animal Diseases/transmission , Chiroptera/virology , Coronavirus Infections/transmission , Diet, Paleolithic/adverse effects , Disease Vectors , Rural Population , Zoonoses/transmission , Animal Diseases/epidemiology , Animals , Coronavirus Infections/virology , Disease Reservoirs/statistics & numerical data , Disease Reservoirs/virology , Ghana/epidemiology , Humans , Zoonoses/virologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, especially in Africa. This study sought to determine whether human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are associated with upper respiratory tract infections among older children and adults in Ghana. METHODS: We conducted a case control study among older children and adults in three rural areas of Ghana using asymptomatic subjects as controls. Nasal/Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), HCoV-22E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1 using Reverse Transcriptase Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. RESULTS: Out of 1,213 subjects recruited, 150 (12.4%) were positive for one or more viruses. Of these, single virus detections occurred in 146 subjects (12.0%) and multiple detections occurred in 4 (0.3%). Compared with control subjects, infections with HCoV-229E (ORâ=â5.15, 95%CIâ=â2.24-11.78), HCoV-OC43 (ORâ=â6.16, 95%CIâ=â1.77-21.65) and combine HCoVs (ORâ=â2.36, 95%CIâ=â1.5â=â3.72) were associated with upper respiratory tract infections. HCoVs were found to be seasonally dependent with significant detections in the harmattan season (mainly HCoV-229E) and wet season (mainly HCoV-NL63). A comparison of the obtained sequences resulted in no differences to sequences already published in GenBank. CONCLUSION: HCoVs could play significant role in causing upper respiratory tract infections among adults and older children in rural areas of Ghana.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/virology , Respiratory Tract Infections/virology , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Coronavirus NL63, Human/genetics , Female , Ghana/epidemiology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Molecular Diagnostic Techniques , Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Seasons , Young AdultABSTRACT
We screened fecal specimens of 4,758 bats from Ghana and 272 bats from 4 European countries for betacoronaviruses. Viruses related to the novel human betacoronavirus EMC/2012 were detected in 46 (24.9%) of 185 Nycteris bats and 40 (14.7%) of 272 Pipistrellus bats. Their genetic relatedness indicated EMC/2012 originated from bats.
