SynthesisFrontiers in public health2026
A systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based anthrax prevalence in Africa with a one health narrative synthesis of outbreak surveillance.
Synthesis in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Anthrax remains a persistent public health, veterinary, and ecological challenge in Africa, sustained by fragmented surveillance systems characterized by underreporting, limited diagnostic capacity, and weak cross-sectoral coordination. The absence of integrated surveillance across human, livestock, wildlife, and environmental interfaces constrains accurate burden estimation and timely outbreak response. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines to synthesize available evidence on anthrax epidemiology in Africa. Studies published between January 2000 and February 2025 were identified from PubMed and Web of Science. Observational studies reporting primary epidemiological data in humans, livestock, wildlife, or environmental samples were eligible. Quantitative synthesis was restricted to cross-sectional studies reporting extractable prevalence data. Pooled estimates were generated using a logit-transformed random-effects model (REML), with heterogeneity assessed using Results: Ten cross-sectional studies comprising 19,955 samples and 2,079 confirmed anthrax cases were included in the meta-analysis. The crude aggregated prevalence was 9.88% (95% CI: 9.46%-10.30%). The pooled prevalence from the logit-transformed random-effects model was 20% (95% CI: 8%-44%). Substantial heterogeneity was observed ( Conclusion: The available evidence on anthrax in Africa is limited, geographically uneven, and highly heterogeneous. The pooled estimate should therefore be interpreted as a summary measure of reported prevalence rather than a precise continental burden estimate. These findings underscore persistent transmission within fragmented surveillance systems and support strengthened One Health-based approaches integrating human, animal, wildlife, and environmental health sectors to improve surveillance, early detection, and coordinated response across Africa.
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