Ticks are important vectors of a wide range of pathogens with significant medical and veterinary importance. Different tick species occupy different habitats with an overall widespread geographical distribution. In addition to their role as reservoirs or vectors, ticks are involved in maintaining pathogens in the environment and among wild and domestic animals. In this study, tick species infesting wild animals, as well as collected from the environment and their pathogens reported in 17 countries in Africa between 2003 and 2023, were collected according to the PRISMA guidelines. Data on ticks resulted in a total of 40 different tick species from 35 different wild animal species. Among the ticks, 34 infectious agents were noted including parasitic (Babesia, Theileria, Hepatozoon, Eimeria), bacterial (Anaplasma, Bartonella, Borrelia, Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii, Candidatus Allocryptoplasma spp., Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Francisella, and Rickettsia), and a surprisingly high diversity of viral pathogens (Bunyamwera virus, Crimean-Congo Haemorhagic Fever virus, Ndumu virus, Semliki Forest virus, Thogoto virus, West Nile virus). These results highlight the public health and veterinary importance of the information on tick-borne infections. This knowledge is essential to strive to implement programs for sustainable control of ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonotic viral disease prevalent in Africa. While infection is asymptomatic in animals, it can cause severe illness with hemorrhagic manifestations and high mortality rates in humans. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and potential risk factors of CCHF in wild (rodents, birds) and domestic (cattle, horses) animals in Benin. A cross-sectional study was carried out from 2022 to 2024 with the assistance of cattle breeders, hunters, farmers and bushmeat sellers in 15 districts found in three agroecological zones in the country. A total of 366 serum samples were analyzed, comprising 254 collected from wild animals and 112 from domestic animals. Among the wild animals tested, 1.18% (95% CI: 0.31–3.70; n = 3) were seropositive for antibodies against CCHF virus (CCHFV). The seroprevalence rates were 3.7% (95% CI: 0.19–20.89) in squirrels, 5.88% (95% CI: 0.31–30.76) in hares and 1.19% (95% CI: 0.06–7.38) in giant rats. In domestic animals, anti-CCHFV antibodies were detected in 38 of the 112 samples, resulting in an overall seroprevalence of 33.93% (95% CI: 25.42–43.56). Specifically, antibodies were identified in 34 out of 81 cattle (41.98%, 95% CI: 31.26–53.46) and 4 out of 24 horses (16.67%, 95% CI: 5.48–38.19). No positive samples were reported in pigeons. This study provides the first seroprevalence data on CCHF in wild and domestic animals in Benin. It highlights the risk and epidemiological dynamics of the disease and underscores the need for further investigations into tick vectors and human populations.

Background: Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods capable of transmitting a great variety of endemic and emerging pathogens causing diseases in animals and humans.Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence ofBartonellaspp.,Rickettsiaspp., Borrelia burgdorferisensu lato (s.l.) andAnaplasma phagocytophilumin ticks collected from cattle in Benin and Togo.Methods: Overall, 396 (148 males, 205 females and 43 nymphs) ticks were collected from cattle in 17 districts (Benin and Togo) between 2019 and 2020. Ticks were pooled into groups of 2–6 ticks per pool according to individual host, location, species and developmental stage. The DNA of each pool was extracted for molecular screening.Results: PCR results revealed that 20 tick pools were positive forBartonellaspp. (Benin and Togo) and 23 tick pools positive forRickettsiaspp. (Benin), while all pools were negative forA. phagocytophilumandB. burgdorferis.l. Sequence analysis of positiveRickettsiasamples revealed the presence ofRickettsia aeschlimannii.Conclusions: The present study highlights the presence of zoonotic agents in ticks collected from cattle in Benin and Togo. This information will raise awareness of tick‐borne diseases among physicians and veterinarians, stimulate further studies to monitor these pathogens, and advise on necessary measures to control the spread of these zoonoses.

| Lassa virus (LASV) is a highly prevalent arenavirus that affects two to three million people in West Africa. A retrospective was conducted review through literatures search using the AGORA, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Researchgate and Google Scholar Databases on Lassa fever (LF) from West Africa. A total of 34 articles were studied from 11 countries. Studies were categorized by host and country, and analysis conducted to determine pooled prevalence estimates for each category Analysis was done using the metaprop command in STATA version 15 and MetaXL software. A total of 18.111 individual samples from 11 countries, described in 34 articles were studied. Analysis of twenty-six studies indicated that the pooled prevalence was 19.0% [95% CI (15.0-23.0 %), I2 = 97.93%]. There was a high level of heterogeneity between studies; however, the high prevalence of LASVwas noted in several countries as Nigeria (12-42%), followed by Sierra Leone (8-43%), and Guinea (9-40%). Pooled prevalence of LASV in human populations in studies conducted over the entire review period was 22.0% [95% CI (17.0-28.0 %), I2 = 98.0%]; eighteen studies), while she was 9.0% [95% CI (4.0-15.0 %), I2 = 97.0%]; eight studies) for Mastomysspp. The knowledge of the geographical distribution and epidemiology may help disease control efforts and limit the risk of transmission, both locally and internationally. This study is also important in order to guide interventions, public health authorities and inform on the evolution of the disease.