Vet World Vol.18 February-2025 Article - 12
Research Article
Veterinary World, 18(2): 367-378
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.367-378
The burden of brucellosis in donkeys and its implications for public health and animal welfare: A systematic review and meta-analysis
2. Department of Veterinary Surgery, Theriogenology and Medicine, Egerton University, Nakuru, Kenya.
Background and Aim: Brucellosis is a globally significant zoonotic disease affecting a wide range of wild and domestic animals, with implications for human and animal health. Despite donkeys’ crucial roles in agriculture, transportation, and livelihoods, there is limited research on the burden of brucellosis in this species. This study systematically reviews the prevalence and role of donkeys as reservoirs for Brucella spp., providing insights into their public health implications.
Materials and Methods: Using the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted for studies published from 1990 to May 2024. Out of 1159 retrieved articles, 20 met the inclusion criteria. Data on study design, location, diagnostic methods, and brucellosis prevalence were extracted and analyzed using R statistical software. Pooled prevalence and heterogeneity were calculated, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was employed to assess study quality.
Results: The pooled prevalence of brucellosis in 6785 donkeys across 20 studies was 10.23% (range: 0%–63.7%), with the highest prevalence reported in Asia (26.80%). While 15% of studies suggested that donkeys act as reservoirs for Brucella spp., direct evidence linking donkeys to disease transmission remains scarce. The disease’s impact on donkey reproduction, including abortion and infertility, is underexplored, highlighting a significant research gap.
Conclusion: Brucellosis in donkeys represents a notable zoonotic and occupational risk. The limited data from East Africa, despite its high donkey population, emphasize the need for comprehensive epidemiological studies. Findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions, including biosecurity, public education, and enhanced diagnostic approaches, to mitigate brucellosis’ impact on donkey health and its broader public health implications.
Keywords: brucellosis, donkeys, meta-analysis, prevalence, public health, reservoir host, systematic review, zoonosis.
How to cite this article: Kithuka JM, Wachira TM, Onono JO, and Ngetich W (2025) The burden of brucellosis in donkeys and its implications for public health and animal welfare: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Veterinary World, 18(2):367-378.
Received: 22-09-2024 Accepted: 13-01-2025 Published online: 17-02-2025
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.367-378
Copyright: Kithuka, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
