Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28149435›Full record

ArticleThe Pan African medical journal2016

Bovine Tuberculosis Surveillance System Evaluation, Greater-Accra Region, Ghana, 2006-2011.

Perdita Hilary Lopes, Patricia Akweongo, Fred Wurapa, Edwin Afari, Samuel Sackey, Dennis Ocansey, Kofi Mensah Nyarko

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Pan African medical journal, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 38% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Insight into the genetic diversity ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2026
    Article
  3. Frontiers in public health · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Perdita Hilary LopesVeterinary Services Directorate, Accra, Ghana; Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon.
Patricia AkweongoEpidemiology Department, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon.
Fred WurapaGhana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon.
Edwin AfariGhana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon.
Samuel SackeyGhana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon.
Dennis OcanseyGhana Health, Service, Accra, Ghana.
Kofi Mensah NyarkoGhana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon; Ghana Health, Service, Accra, Ghana.
University of Ghana · GHMinistry of Food and Agriculture · GH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionBovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic, zoonotic, multi-species disease of cattle caused by Mycobacterium bovis. In developed countries, effective surveillance and enforcement of regulations on bTB control resulted in significant reduction of infections in cattle and hence, humans. However, in developing countries, weak surveillance systems affect accurate and timely reporting of bTB in humans and cattle. In Ghana, transhumance movement of cattle increases the risk of bTB importation and spread, however, the extent to which surveillance detects bTB is unknown. We therefore evaluated the bTB surveillance system in the Greater-Accra Region to determine its performance and assessed its attributes.

methodsWe interviewed stakeholders, and reviewed bTB surveillance data for all ten districts in the region from 2006-2011 using the CDC Guidelines for Evaluation of public health surveillance systems.

resultsFrom 2006-2011, bTB was suspected in 284/244,576 (0.12%) cattle slaughtered, of which 7/284 (2.5%) were submitted for laboratory confirmation and all tested positive. Predictive value positive was 100%. There is no standard case definition which guides bTB detection. Fifty percent of carcasses slip through inspection, and confirmed cases are not traced back. There were 99/284 (34.9%) condemnations from suspected carcasses and 57/97 (58.8%) from positive reactors from screening. Ninety percent (9/10) of districts submitted reports late to the region whereas representativeness was 30%. Regional and district data were manually stored with no electronic backups. The region's cattle population is unknown.

conclusionAlthough the bTB surveillance system is sensitive, it is under performing, and the possibility of bTB transmission from cattle to humans is high.

Indexed as

AnimalsCattleGhanaGuidelines as TopicMycobacterium bovisPredictive Value of TestsPublic Health SurveillanceSensitivity and SpecificityTuberculosis, BovineBovine tuberculosisevaluationGhanaMycobacterium bovissurveillance

Identifiers

PMID28149435
PMCPMC5257018
OpenAlexW2527716950

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.