A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of the Epidemiology of Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Infection in Dairy Cattle in Ethiopia

Abstract

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is a widely prevalent and economically important pathogen of cattle with substantial implications for dairy production in Ethiopia. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of BoHV-1 infection in the country. A systematic literature searches of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted to identify eligible studies reporting the seroprevalence of bovine herpesvirus-1 in dairy cattle. Pooled prevalence estimates were generated using a random-effect meta-analysis model. A total of nine studies that met the inclusion criteria were analysed, encompassing 5078 dairy cattle tested using competitive (c-ELISA) and blocking (b-ELISA) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The overall pooled prevalence of BoHV-1 was estimated at 46.02% (95% CI: 33.36 to 58.68). A higher prevalence was observed with the c-ELISA (54.17%; 95% CI: 31.62 to 76.71) compared to the b-ELISA (39.56%; 95% CI: 26.08 to 53.04). Temporal analysis revealed a pooled prevalence of 36.93% (95% CI: 25.93 to 47.93 from studies conducted between 2018 and 2021 (3 studies, 2274 samples) and 56.63% (95% CI: 32.96 to 68.31) from studies between 2022 and 2025 (6 studies, 2804 samples). Prevalence also varied with sample size, with the highest prevalence recorded in studies with a sample size between 413-563 (51.79%; 95% CI: 41.37 to 62.21), followed by those with a sample size of 164-384 (46%; 95% CI: 18.84 to 75.05). The finding suggests a rising trend in BoHV-1 infection, with no evidence of publication bias. In-depth epidemiological studies and the development of effective prevention and control strategies to mitigate the effects of BoHV-1 infection in Ethiopia.