First molecular detection of Cytauxzoon felis and Babesia sp. in ticks collected from wildlife in Atwemonom bushmeat market of Ghana and their potential veterinary health implications.

Tick-borne protozoan parasites pose significant risks to veterinary health worldwide, affecting both companion animals and livestock. When wildlife and domestic animals come into contact due to habitat encroachment, the likelihood of pathogen transmission increases, with ticks serving as potential vectors. This study investigated the occurrence of tick-borne pathogens of veterinary concern in ticks collected from wildlife commonly hunted and sold at the Atwemonom Bushmeat Market in Kumasi, Ghana. Ticks removed from wildlife carcasses were identified morphologically and screened using primers targeting a 560 bp fragment of the ssrRNA gene, the 345 bp region of the 16 S rRNA gene, and Sanger sequencing. A total of 211 ticks were collected from 46 wildlife carcasses representing three host species. The dominant tick species was Ixodes aulacodi (49.76%), infesting grasscutters. Pathogen DNA was detected in 4 (4.26%) of the tick pools. The pathogens identified included Babesia sp. (2.13%), Cytauxzoon felis (1.06%), and a symbiont Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii (2.13%). Cytauxzoon felis showed the highest maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) rate of 19.28% (95% CI: 1.22, 62.73%). No clear associations were observed between pathogens or symbionts and host characteristics. These findings highlight the role of wildlife as reservoirs of pathogens that threaten domestic animals. Ongoing surveillance at the wildlife-human-domestic animal interface is essential to inform risk assessment and support the development of effective veterinary disease control strategies.