brucellosis seropositivity in animals in algeria: a comprehensive meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence, diagnostic approaches, and spatial distribution of animal brucellosis in algeria. following prisma guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using five databases (pubmed, thomson reuters, sciencedirect, scopus, and google scholar) to identify relevant studies published in english up to february 2025. a total of 34 eligible articles, encompassing 67 individual studies conducted between 2003 and 2025, were included. these studies investigated brucellosis in cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and equines. pooled prevalence estimates showed species-specific variations: 14.87% in sheep, 14.7% in goats, 4.62% in cattle, 3.35% in camels, and 0.85% in equines. diagnostic methods varied across studies, with the rose bengal plate test (rbpt) being the most commonly used (in 33 studies), followed by the complement fixation test (cft) (20 studies), and elisa (18 studies), delayed type hypersensitivity test with dead brucella antigen - nh strain (ddg-nh), real-time pcr (rt-pcr), buffalo agglutination plate test (bapt) and tube agglutination test (tat). spatial analysis revealed hotspots primarily in northern and central regions, notably medea, tiaret, sidi bel-abbes, and djelfa, with sporadic cases in arid and semi-arid areas. brucellosis persistence is driven by several risk factors including, herd size, husbandry practices, lack of systematic vaccination, and interspecies transmission. the absence of an oie-accredited reference laboratory in algeria limits accurate diagnosis and surveillance. this first systematic meta-analysis on animal brucellosis in algeria underscores the urgent need for harmonized diagnostic protocols, enhanced biosecurity measures, nationwide vaccination strategies, and robust surveillance systems to control the disease and protect animal and public health.