Prevalence and determinants of Campylobacter infection in under-five children of East Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Campylobacter species (mainly C. jejuni and C. coli) are common causes of gastroenteritis in humans, particularly under-fives in middle-income and low-income countries. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence on the prevalence of campylobacteriosis and its association with sociodemographic and animal exposure in under-five children (UFC) of East African countries. PubMed/MEDLINE, Wiley Online Library, Research4life programmes (HINARI, AGORA, OARE, and ARDI), Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate were searched for eligible studies published from 2009 until August 31, 2024, in countries of East Africa. Studies that didn’t present full text and prevalence data in UFC were excluded. Published articles with good quality scores using the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) criteria were used for data extraction. The STATA statistical software version 17 (STATACorp, 2021) was used to perform the meta-analysis using a random-effects model. The PROSPERO registration number for this systematic review and meta-analysis is CRD42024599881. The highest Campylobacter prevalence was reported from Ethiopia (63.8%), while the lowest was from Zambia and Madagascar (1.0%). The odds of being positive for thermophilic Campylobacter species were 1.2 in males (95% CI = 0.9 - 1.5). Subgroup analysis revealed a pooled OR (odds ratio) of 1.5 (95% CI: 0.9–2.4) in the Horn of Africa and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.2–2.8) in areas situated above 1,500 meters above sea level…
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