First record and molecular identification of Amblyomma geoemydae and Haemaphysalis campanulata parasitizing wildlife in Ashanti Region, Ghana.

In sub-Saharan Africa, ticks, which are ectoparasites, pose a serious risk to public health and the economy as important vectors of a variety of zoonotic and veterinary infections. Although there is a substantial amount of research on tick infestation in livestock in Ghana, little is known about the role of wildlife in the spread of tick species. In this study, ticks were collected from wildlife hunted as bushmeat in the Ashanti Region from March to May 2025. The ticks were molecularly identified using an assay that amplifies the 660-bp segment of the mitochondrial COI gene and Sanger sequencing. From the 17 wild animals sampled, grasscutters (52.95%) were the predominant host. A total of 79 ticks were collected, with Ixodes aulacodi (27.85%) as the most abundant species, infesting only grasscutters. This study reports the first molecular identification of Amblyomma geoemydae and Haemaphysalis campanulata in Ghana. Furthermore, the sequences from this study were similar to those reported from Asia and other African countries, highlighting the diversity and possibility for tick species to spread across regions. The findings of this study indicate a role of wild animals in the spread of tick species in Ghana and report new records to Ghana's known tick fauna. To reduce zoonotic threats, the results highlight the necessity of targeted public health initiatives and continuous molecular surveillance.