Global epidemiology ofinfestation in camels: a systematic review and meta-analysis (1980–2025)
Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
Background () is the causative agent of camel nasopharyngeal myiasis and is widespread in camel-rearing regions worldwide, causing impaired health, reduced productivity, and economic losses. However, despite the veterinary importance of, global epidemiological evidence remains limited and fragmented, and no comprehensive synthesis of prevalence data across camel-rearing regions has previously been conducted. The objective of this review was to estimate the global pooled prevalence ofinfestation in camels. In addition, subgroup analyses were made to assess the effect of camel species, geographic region, and study period on the pooled prevalence ofinfestation. Methods The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review protocol was prospectively registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD420261344750. A literature search was conducted in multiple databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), Google Scholar, and CAB Direct (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International database; CABI). Pooled prevalence was estimated by a random-effects meta-analysis using R software. Heterogeneity of the prevalence reports was assessed using Cochran’s Q and the Istatistic. Funnel plot and Egger’s test were used for assessing study bias. Results Forty-one epidemiological studies involving 18,959 camels from 11 countries were included in this review. The pooled prevalence o
Abstract
Background () is the causative agent of camel nasopharyngeal myiasis and is widespread in camel-rearing regions worldwide, causing impaired health, reduced productivity, and economic losses. However, despite the veterinary importance of, global epidemiological evidence remains limited and fragmented, and no comprehensive synthesis of prevalence data across camel-rearing regions has previously been conducted. The objective of this review was to estimate the global pooled prevalence ofinfestation in camels. In addition, subgroup analyses were made to assess the effect of camel species, geographic region, and study period on the pooled prevalence ofinfestation. Methods The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review protocol was prospectively registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD420261344750. A literature search was conducted in multiple databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), Google Scholar, and CAB Direct (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International database; CABI). Pooled prevalence was estimated by a random-effects meta-analysis using R software. Heterogeneity of the prevalence reports was assessed using Cochran’s Q and the Istatistic. Funnel plot and Egger’s test were used for assessing study bias. Results Forty-one epidemiological studies involving 18,959 camels from 11 countries were included in this review. The pooled prevalence ofinfestation was 67% (95% CI: 59–75%). Heterogeneity among studies was very high (I= 99.1%, 0.05). Although the funnel plot showed slight asymmetry, Egger’s regression test did not indicate statistically significant small-study effects (= 0.497). Conclusion This meta-analysis demonstrated a high pooled prevalence ofinfestation (67%; 95% CI: 59–75%) and revealed important geographical variation across camel-rearing countries, highlighting the substantial epidemiological burden of infestation and the need for region-specific surveillance and control strategies. Systematic review registration PROSPERO, Registration No. CRD420261344750. Publicly accessible at:.