Seroprevalence of Brucellosis Among Camels and Camel Owners in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis (2000–2025)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Camel brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease that poses a significant economic and public health threat, particularly in regions where camel is vital to the pastoral community. Despite being an important health issue, there is limited comprehensive evidence on the burden of brucellosis in camel and camel owners in endemic countries. The objective of this review was to evaluate the prevalence of brucellosis among camels and camel owners in Ethiopia. METHODS: The review sought major databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocols guidelines, with all searches completed by 30 September 2025. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed and a random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled seroprevalence of brucellosis in camels and their owners. Subgroup analysis, meta-regression and sensitivity analysis were used to identify the sources of variation. Funnel plots, along with Egger's tests, were employed to evaluate publication bias. RESULTS: The pooled seroprevalence of brucellosis in camel was found to be 3.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0, 4.0), whereas in camel owners it was 14.0% (95% CI: 0.0, 34.0). The subgroup analysis revealed the highest seroprevalence of camel brucellosis was 5.0% (95% CI: 3.0, 6.0) in the Afar region, followed by 3.0% (95% CI: 2.0, 6.0) in Tigray and 2.0% (95% CI: 1.0, 3.0) in the Somali and Oromia regions. Furthermore, the analysis by publication year revealed that the seroprevalence from 2017 to 2025 was higher, at 3.0% (95% CI: 2.0, 4.0), compared to 2000-2016, which had a seroprevalence of 2.0% (95% CI: 1.0, 3.0). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis emphasizes that brucellosis in camels and their owners continues to pose a significant threat in Ethiopia. Therefore, it is critical for veterinary and public health sectors to collaborate in designing and implementing effective prevention and control strategies for camel and camel owners' brucellosis using a One Health framework.