Prevalence of bovine paratuberculosis in Chinese cattle populations: A meta-analysis

Abstract Background Bovine paratuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease of ruminants primarily caused by Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis. It is essentially a chronic granulomatous enteritis characterized by intractable diarrhea, progressive lethargy, and thickening of the intestinal mucosa with the formation of crumpled pouches that might be related to Crohn's disease in humans. Bovine paratuberculosis not only adversely affects milk production and the quality of dairy products but also poses a significant threat to the economic development of dairy farming and human food security. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis infection among cattle herds in mainland China. Results In China, the overall estimated prevalence of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis infection in cattle was 9% (7728/ 102340). Interestingly, the Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis infection rate in cattle in southern China was estimated to be 2% (6/281), which was significantly lower compared with other regions of China, and the highest infection rate was 12% (1914/16008) in eastern China. Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis infection rates were related to age, average herd size, type of use, season, detection method, and sample type. Conclusion Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis infection in cattle was common in China. Therefore, further studies and monitoring of the prevalence of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis infection are necessary to develop novel intervention strategies. The analysis identified age, average herd size, type of use, and season as significant potential risk factors associated with paratuberculosis pool positivity. In addition, the detection method and sample type can also potentially affect the incidence of detected paratuberculosis.