title: Epidemiology of Mansonella perstans in the middle belt of Ghana.
abstract: Mansonellosis was first reported in Ghana by Awadzi in the 1990s. Co-infections of Mansonella perstans have also been reported in a small cohort of patients with Buruli ulcer and their contacts. However, no study has assessed the exact prevalence of the disease in a larger study population. This study therefore aimed to find out the prevalence of M. perstans infection in some districts in Ghana and to determine the diversity of Culicoides that could be potential vectors for transmission.
  
  
  
  From each participant screened in the Asante Akim North (Ashanti Region), Sene West and Atebubu Amantin (Brong Ahafo Region) districts, a total of 70 μl of finger prick blood was collected for assessment of M. perstans microfilariae. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) light traps as well as the Human Landing Catch (HLC) method were used to assess the species diversity of Culicoides present in the study communities.
  
  
  
  From 2,247 participants, an overall prevalence of 32% was recorded although up to 75% prevalence was demonstrated in some of the communities. Culicoides inornatipennis was the only species of Culicoides caught with the HLC method. By contrast, C. imicola (47%), C. neavei (25%) and C. schultzei (15%) were caught by the CDC light trap method. A wide diversity of other Culicoides spp. was also identified but correlation was only found between the prevalence of C. inornatipennis and M. perstans during the dry season.
  
  
  
  Here we demonstrate for the first time that M. perstans is highly prevalent in three districts in Ghana. We found a wide spectrum of Culicoides spp. Culicoides inornatipennis was the most anthropophilic and is therefore likely to be the species responsible for transmission of infection but formal proof has yet to be obtained.
  
  
  
  NCT02281643 . Registered October 26, 2014. 'Retrospectively registered'.
  
  
  
  ClinicalTrials.gov.
authors.affiliation: Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana. lindrousy@yahoo.com.|Department of Clinical Microbiology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. lindrousy@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Linda Batsa
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Debrah
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology, and Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nausch
authors.affiliation: Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Vera Serwaa
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Opoku
authors.affiliation: Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Wellington
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Owusu
authors.affiliation: Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Yusif
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mubarik
authors.affiliation: Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Daniel Antwi
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Berko
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wanji
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Layland
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoerauf
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology, and Pediatric Cardiology, University Children's Hospital, Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Allied Health Sciences of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Alexander Yaw
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Debrah
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Richard O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002519:Ceratopogonidae / Q000469:parasitology; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008366:Mansonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008368:Mansonelliasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Culicoides; Epidemiology; Mansonella perstans; Mansonellosis; Microfilariae