Global Prevalence of Q Fever in Camels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies From Africa and Asia.

Authors

Simegnew Adugna Kallu, Shimels Mengistu, Pawlos Wasihun Asnake, Ambachew Motbaynor Wubaye, Migbaru Keffale Bezabih, Melkamu Temesgen Mekonen, Sindu Zegeye Alamneh, Yusuf Ahmed Elmi, Kedir Sali, Simachew Getaneh Endalamew, Amsalu Misgie Molla, Yihenew Getahun Ambaw

Published in

Veterinary medicine and science. Volume 12. Issue 6. Pages e71275.

Abstract

Q fever is a neglected zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii with a global distribution. It has a significant public health implication in resource-limited settings. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to comprehensively analyse the global prevalence of Q fever in camels. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, online searches were conducted in Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar from 9 to 20 December 2025, to retrieve articles published between 1 January 2000 and 30 November 2025. After excluding articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria, this systematic review and meta-analysis identified 35 articles. After heterogeneity assessment, random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence, and the overall pooled prevalence of Q fever in camels was 33.37% (95% CI: [23.14; 45.44]), combining serological evidence of previous or recent exposure with molecular evidence of C. burnetii detection. Diagnostic-method-specific analyses showed substantially different pooled estimates for ELISA (44.06%) and PCR (7.76%), reflecting distinct biological endpoints. The prevalence of Q fever was 37.17% in Africa and 26.87% in Asia. This meta-analysis result showed that the prevalence of Q fever is high in camels, but it is still neglected in several regions, posing significant impact to human and animal health. Expanded epidemiological investigations to underrepresented geographic regions and production systems will provide critical evidence to inform global surveillance strategies and support evidence-based policy for zoonotic disease prevention in camel populations and beyond.

PMID:
42904863
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Oct 2026.

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