Brucellosis seroprevalence in cattle in China during 2014–2024: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Emerging Microbes & Infections·
- DOI
- 10.1080/22221751.2024.2417859
- PMID
- 39450582
- PMCID
- PMC11556282
- OpenAlex
- W4403772531
- Study type
- Systematic review
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings underscore the importance of routine cattle surveillance for predicting and responding to human brucellosis cases. The authors suggest that without changes to current prevention measures, brucellosis will likely remain prevalent in both cattle and people, informing policies on animal surveillance and livestock movement to protect public health.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study sought to determine the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis across different cattle breeds and regions in China between 2014 and 2024, and to explore associations between cattle and human case trends.
Study design
This was a systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizing 80 studies with 187 datasets encompassing over 3.1 million cattle samples.
Population and setting
The analysis included dairy cattle, beef cattle, and yak populations across multiple regions of China, comparing areas with and without authorized vaccination programs.
Main findings
The pooled seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis in China was estimated at 1.5%. Dairy cattle showed higher seroprevalence (3.1%) than beef cattle (1.3%) or yak (1.5%). Regions with vaccination programs had higher seroprevalence (1.8%) than unvaccinated regions (0.5%). The review noted a concurrent rise in cattle seroprevalence and human brucellosis cases.
Public-health relevance
The findings underscore the importance of routine cattle surveillance for predicting and responding to human brucellosis cases. The authors suggest that without changes to current prevention measures, brucellosis will likely remain prevalent in both cattle and people, informing policies on animal surveillance and livestock movement to protect public health.
Important limitations
This summary is based solely on the supplied abstract and metadata. A full assessment of study heterogeneity, risk of bias, confounding factors, and the robustness of predictions requires access to the complete published article.
GIDS interpretation
This systematic review was identified through classifier links for brucellosis, China, and surveillance topics. It provides a synthesis of seroprevalence data that may inform risk assessments and surveillance strategy discussions, though it does not by itself constitute an active outbreak signal or recommend specific clinical actions.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 10 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.