GLOBAL PREVALENCE OF FELINE CORONAVIRUS INFECTION (FCOV) IN DOMESTIC CATS: SYSTEMATIC META-ANALYSIS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic meta-analysis on global prevalence of Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) infection. According to the guidelines of PRISMA, the meta-analysis was performed. After compete search, data extraction and selection of studies, data were analyzed using comprehensive meta-analysis software program. The results of meta-analysis were95% confidence intervals, effect size, heterogeneity, weight, and publication bias. In the finally selected studies (54 articles), the overall prevalence of FCoV was 32.42 %,wherein, a total of 13,639 cats out of 42,076 were found to be positive for FCoV. The prevalence of infection was most prevalent in Europe (47.6%), but less prevalent in North and M/ Central America (3.88%). The lowest infection rate was recorded in the USA, but the highest was recorded in Germany (0.6% vs 100%). Results of meta-analysis for fixed effect showeda Z value of -30.213 (p=0.00), but for random effect, the z value was -0.310 (P = 0.756). The degree of heterogeneity in the selected study on both fixed and random effect was measured and demonstrated by the forest plot (I-squared: 99.046; Q-value: 5453.144 and P value: 0.000. The output of the Egger regression test was intercept (1.82), confidence interval (-1.72- 5.37), t-value (1.03) and p-value (0.30). However, the result of Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation test was Kendall’s Tau (0.00), z-value for Tau (0.00) and P value (0.5). In conclusion, the present results indicate that the FCoV infection is globally widespread.Therefore, strict prevention and control policies should be formulated. Keywords:Epidemiology, cat, Coronavirus, Prevalence, Meta-analysis.