University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh COMMON PARASITES OF FRUIT-EATING BATS IN SOUTHERN GHANA THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIRMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MPHIL ZOOLOGY DEGREE BY NAA AWULA NARKIE NARTEY (10249640) JULY, 2015 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION This is to certify that this thesis is the result of research undertaken by me, Naa Awula Narkie Nartey towards the award of an MPhil degree in Zoology (Parasitology option) at the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana. This thesis has not been submitted either in part or in whole for any other degree and all reference to other people’s work has been duly acknowledged. Signed….……………………………... Date………………………………….. Naa Awula Narkie Nartey (Student) Signed…………………………………. Date…………………………………. Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu (Principal Supervisor) Signed …………………………………. Date………………………………… Dr. Fred Aboagye-Antwi (Co-Supervisor) i University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION This work is dedicated to God Almighty, my supportive family who have been of great help in every aspect of the work and also to my good friends Evans Ferguson, Jones Quartey and Kofi Amponsah-Mensah who have also helped in diverse ways for the completion of this thesis. ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I sincerely wish to express my profound gratitude to all those who contributed in diverse ways for the completion of this thesis. My gratitude first of all goes to God Almighty for granting me good health, the strength and the wisdom for the execution of the work. Special thanks goes to Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu for the assistance, constructive criticisms and laborious proof-reading which were of utmost help in the completion of the thesis. I also wish to thank Dr. Fred Aboagye-Antwi my co-supervisor. I am also thankful to Dr. Gordon Awandare, head of the Department of Biochemistry for allowing me to use his laboratory for the processing of the samples and also to Mr. James Abugri of the Infectious disease laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry for guiding me in the processing of samples for molecular analysis. I am grateful to Kofi Amponsah-Mensah and Mr. Alfred Nuoh Ali for the help in the trapping and sampling of bats on the field. This work would certainly not be completed without their guidance, encouragement and co-operation. I am also thankful to Dr. Meyir Ziekah of Ghana Wildlife Division of the Ghana Forestry Commission for the assistance in the collection of blood samples. This is particularly appreciated because of the technicality involved. With the help of the laboratory technicians of the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, processing of samples was made easy. Special thanks go to them as well. I profoundly acknowledge the financial support of the UG-Carnegie Next Generation of Academics in Africa (NGAA) Project for the successful completion of my thesis. Without their help, this work would not have had the funding for the thorough analysis that was with carried out. Finally, I am very grateful to my mother for the fervent prayers and staying up me during the final stages of the thesis. iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .................................................................................................................... i DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... x LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. xii LIST OF PLATES .............................................................................................................. xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................ xiv ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ xv CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................................. 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background information ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Bat biology .................................................................................................................. 2 1.2.1 The Megachiropterans ...................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 The Microchiropterans...................................................................................... 3 1.3 Parasite infestation ...................................................................................................... 3 1.3.1 Ectoparasites ..................................................................................................... 4 1.3.2 Endoparasites .................................................................................................... 4 iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 1.4 Justification ................................................................................................................. 5 1.5 Objectives ................................................................................................................... 7 1.5.1 Overall objective ............................................................................................... 7 1.5.2 Specific objectives ............................................................................................ 7 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................. 9 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 9 2.1 Emerging Infectious Diseases ..................................................................................... 9 2.2 Bats as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases ..................................................................... 11 2.3 Potential health risks of bats to humans ................................................................... 14 2.4 Parasites .................................................................................................................... 17 2.4.1 Ectoparasites of bats and the diseases they transmit ...................................... 18 2.4.1.1 Bat flies ..................................................................................................... 19 2.4.1.2 Bat mites ................................................................................................... 20 2.4.1.3 Bat ticks .................................................................................................... 21 2.4.1.4 Bat fleas .................................................................................................... 23 2.4.1.5 Bat bug ...................................................................................................... 25 2.4.2 Endoparasites of bats ...................................................................................... 26 2.4.2.1 Malaria parasites ....................................................................................... 26 2.4.2.2 Trypanosomes ........................................................................................... 28 v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 2.4.2.3 Helminths .................................................................................................. 29 2.5 Host-parasite associations ......................................................................................... 30 2.6 Effects of parasites on bats ....................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER THREE........................................................................................................... 34 3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................................................................ 34 3.1 Study areas ................................................................................................................ 34 3.1.1 ‘37’ Military Hospital ..................................................................................... 34 3.1.2 Buoyem ........................................................................................................... 35 3.1.3 Tanoboase Sacred Grove ................................................................................ 36 3.1.4 Ve-Golokuati .................................................................................................. 37 3.2 Data collection .......................................................................................................... 39 3.2.1 Trapping of bats .............................................................................................. 39 3.2.2 Sampling of ectoparasites ............................................................................... 40 3.2.3 Sampling of endoparasites .............................................................................