SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs, dog owners, dog breeders, and veterinarians in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions of Ghana-zoonotic implications.

BACKGROUND: After the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increasing concern over the causative agent, , mutating into a more virulent strain in animals and spilling over to humans, a potential threat of future pandemics. Anthropo-zoonotic transmissions of the virus can as well not be ruled out. The dynamics of spillover of , particularly from humans to animals and has not been fully studied. Livestock and pet owners, as well as animal health workers, have been documented to be at greater risk of COVID-19 infection. To effectively control and prevent the COVID-19 disease, the virus needs to be adequately studied in humans, animals and the environment. There is limited information on COVID-19 infections in animals in Ghana.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out to ascertain the COVID-19 infection status in dogs, their owners, dog breeders, and veterinarians in Ghana, specifically in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions. Blood samples and nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from dogs for serological and molecular analysis. Questionnaires on COVID-19 risk factors were administered. antibodies in sera and viral RNA in swabs were detected using ELISA and RT- PCR, respectively.

RESULTS: It was observed that 2.3% (CI = 1%-5.3%) of the dogs tested positive on RT-PCR for ; 5.1% (CI = 2.4%-10.7%) of humans tested positive on PCR for . A seroprevalence of 6.5% (CI = 3.9%-0.6%) of was detected in dogs, and 99.1% (CI = 95.3%-99.8%) seropositivity was detected in humans. Close proximity to livestock was statistically associated with active SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs ( = 0.004). In humans, a statistically significant association was found between infrequent mask use in public and a positive infection ( = 0.009).

CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs in Ghana, among the first such indications in the sub-Saharan African region. Close proximity to livestock was associated with infection in dogs and inconsistent mask use with infection in humans, though the cross-sectional design precludes determination of transmission direction, and these associations should be regarded as hypothesis-generating. Longitudinal studies with larger samples and viral sequencing will clarify SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics among humans, animals, and environment.

Copyright © 2026 Amemor, Folitse, Hoerauf, Parcina, Ritter, Burimuah, Yeboah and Emikpe.

PMID: 42661687