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Review
. 2023 Oct 24;12(11):1276.
doi: 10.3390/pathogens12111276.

Tick-Borne Diseases of Humans and Animals in West Africa

Adama Zan Diarra  1   2 , Patrick Kelly  3 , Bernard Davoust  1   4 , Philippe Parola  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Tick-Borne Diseases of Humans and Animals in West Africa

Adama Zan Diarra et al. Pathogens. .

Abstract

Ticks are a significant group of arthropod vectors that transmit a large variety of pathogens responsible for human and animal diseases worldwide. Ticks are the second biggest transmitters of vector-borne diseases, behind mosquitoes. However, in West Africa, there is often only limited knowledge of tick-borne diseases. With the scarcity of appropriate diagnostic services, the prevalence of tick-borne diseases is generally underestimated in humans. In this review, we provide an update on tick-borne pathogens reported in people, animals and ticks in West Africa by microscopic, immunological and molecular methods. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar. The selection criteria included all studies conducted in West Africa reporting the presence of Rickettsia, Borrelia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, Coxiella burnetii, Theileria, Babesia, Hepatozoon and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever viruses in humans, animals or ticks. Our intention is to raise awareness of tick-borne diseases amongst human and animal health workers in West Africa, and also physicians working with tourists who have travelled to the region.

Keywords: Borrelia; Rickettsia; West Africa; tick-borne diseases; ticks.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Tick vectors of the spotted fever group rickettsioses in West Africa. Above Am. variegatum, vector of R. africae, the agent of African tick bite fever, below Rh. sanguineus, the main vector of R. conorii subsp. conorii, the agent of Mediterranean spotted fever. (A,C) = females, (B,D) = males.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Tick-borne rickettsiae detected by PCR in humans, animals, and ticks in West African countries.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Different species of Borrelia detected by PCR or microscopy methods in humans, animals, and ticks in West Africa.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Different species of Anaplasma detected by PCR in animals and ticks in West Africa.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Different species of Ehrlichia spp. detected by PCR in humans, animals, and ticks in West Africa.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Different species of Bartonella spp. detected by PCR in humans, animals, and ectoparasites in West Africa.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Different species of Theileria detected by PCR in humans, animals, and ticks in West Africa.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Different species of Babasia spp. detected by PCR or microscopy in animals and ticks in West Africa.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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