Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 91 | Published: 12 Oct 2026
Ewurabena Ntiamoah Bediako1,2,3,&, Benjamin Betey Campion2 , Mary Nkansa2 , Emmanuel Allegye Cudjoe1, Kwaku Appiah Duodu1,2, Delia Akosua Bandoh3, Awurama Gyamfuah Asirifi5, Theophilus Odoom1, Sherry Ama Mawuko Johnson4, Sandra Padikie Nyumutei6, Samuel Duodu7, Angela Ayiku7, Daniel Tawiah-Yingar1, Regina Ama Banu8, Rhoda Nyarko8, Dorothy Lomo-Mainoo8, Mario Chrisk8, Appiah Serapis8, Humphery Darko8, Ayesha Algade Amadu8, Gabriel Appiah8, Ruby Asmah8, Obed Danso Acheampong4
1Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD), Accra, Ghana, 2Fisheries Commission of Ghana (FC), Accra, Ghana, 3Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (GFELTP), Accra, Ghana, 4School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), University of Ghana (UG), Accra, Ghana, 5University of Ghana (UG), Accra, Ghana, 6International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Accra, Ghana, 7West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana (UG), Accra, Ghana, 8Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research – Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Ewurabena Ntiamoah Bediako, Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD), Accra, Ghana, Email: abenanbediako@gmail.com
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 12 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Aphanomyces invadans, Ghana, Clarias spp, Parachanna spp, Kamebunli
©Ewurabena Ntiamoah Bediako et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Ewurabena Ntiamoah Bediako et al., First detection of Aphanomyces invadans in wild-caught fish in Kamebunli, Ghana. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):91. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-0091
Aphanomyces invadans is a water mold affecting over 160 fish species, with global prevalence ranging from 20–90%. The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) lists the disease, which has been documented across four continents. It impacts subsistence fisheries, threatening food security and national economies. An outbreak affecting fish in Kamebunli, Ghana, marked the first detection in Ghana and West Africa. A one-health team aimed to identify the agent, characterize the outbreak, and implement control measures.
On 14 January 2025, an investigation was conducted on symptomatic fish naturally inhabiting and harvested from the Ebi and Fia rivers in the Ellembelle District. A case was defined as any wild fish showing ulcerative skin lesions, necrotic areas, or yellow nodules on visceral organs. Post-mortem examinations were performed, swabs taken for bacteriology, ulcerative lesions preserved in 10% neutral-buffered formalin for histology, and fish tissues stored in ethanol for PCR analysis. Water samples were collected for physicochemical and biological assessment. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed species identity and genetic relatedness.
Gross examination revealed ulcerative lesions on the body surface in 10 sampled fish. Bacteriological culture identified Bacillus cereus, Citrobacter braakii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter tandoi, Edwardsiella ictaluri, Flavobacterium columnare, and Aeromonas hydrophila, confirmed via MALDI-TOF MS. Histopathology showed epidermal necrosis extending into subcutaneous tissue. Conventional PCR detected *A. invadans* in 100% (5/5) of samples. Half (50%, 5/10) of the fish belonged to Parachanna spp. and half (50%, 5/10) to Clarias spp. Prevalence was 80% (4/5) in the Fia River and 20% (1/5) in the Ebi River. The outbreak was confined to two rivers (Ebi and Fia) in the Ellembelle District, Western Region of Ghana.
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