A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS TO ASSESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MICROBIAL INFECTIONS IN ZEBRA

Wild equids can harvest multiple-host infectious agents that are able to affect other wildlife species, but also domestic animals and humans. The contact between wild and domestic equids is constantly increasing due to the depletion of natural areas, climate and land-usage changes, which could result in burdensome epidemics. Nevertheless, currently there is a lack of adequate epidemiological data from zebra. Three electronic databases were searched from 10 to 20 March 2021 for publications reporting bacterial, viral and protozoan infections in zebra. Data for a total of 12 nominal variables were extracted from reviewed papers to undergo a qualitative analysis on microbial infections in zebra. Prevalence-reporting studies were subjected to meta-analysis for estimating the pooled prevalence and seroprevalence of infectious agents in wild zebra populations. We identified 29 pathogen species and the most represented were Equine Herpesvirus 1 and 9, Bacillus anthracis, African Horse Sickness virus and Theileria equi. They were reported from all the three zebra species, both in captivity and wilderness. Pooled seroprevalences were estimated for the equine Orbiviruses AHSV (70%; 95%CI: 35-96%) and EEV (21%; 95%CI: 8-38%) and for the equine α -Herpesviruses EHV-1 (72%; 95%CI: 43-93%), EHV-4 (40%; 95%CI: 0-100%) and EHV-9 (58%; 95%CI: 9-98%), and pooled prevalences for the equine piroplasms T. equi (100%; 95%CI: 94-100%) and B. caballi (8%; 95%CI: 0-28%). Zebra is most probably a reservoir from which AHSV, EHV-1 and T. equi can be transmitted to horse populations, potentially causing disastrous epidemics. Zebra can also harvest zoonotic pathogens like B. anthracis, A. phagocytophylum, CCHFV and T. brucei. Other agents like EHV-9, BPV-1 and BPV-2 have the potential to spread from zebra to other wild endangered animal species. We conclude that zebra is an important host for multiple and dangerous pathogens. Alert and epidemiological research should be increased on infectious agents of zebra.

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Equine piroplasmosis: an insight into global exposure of equids from 1990 to 2019 by systematic review and meta-analysis

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182020001407 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 147 (13) ◽

pp. 1411-1424 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

ThankGod E. Onyiche ◽

Moeti O. Taioe ◽

Nthatisi I. Molefe ◽

Abdullahi A. Biu ◽

Joshua Luka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Diagnostic Technique ◽

Current Status ◽

Theileria Equi ◽

Equine Piroplasmosis ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Causative Agents ◽

And Control

AbstractEquine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease of economic importance, relevant in the international movement of equids. The causative agents are at least two apicomplexan protozoan parasites Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. To date, there is no study that estimates global and regional exposure of equids to EP. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence and heterogeneity of EP using random-effects model. Six electronic databases were searched for publications on EP and assessed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 66 eligible studies published between 1990 and 2019 and representing 24 041 equids were included. The overall pooled prevalence estimates (PPEs) of B. caballi was 22.3% (95% CI 21.7–22.8), while the overall PPE for T. equi was 29.4% (95% CI 28.7–30.0). The overall pooled prevalence due to co-infection with both parasites was 11.8% (95% CI 11.32–12.32). Also, subgroup analysis according to sex, age, diagnostic technique, equid species, region and publication years showed a substantial degree of heterogeneity across studies computed for both B. caballi and T. equi infections in equids. Awareness of the current status of EP globally will alert the relevant authorities and stakeholders where necessary on the need for better preventive and control strategies against the disease.

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Prevalence and Determinants of Stunting and Thinness/Wasting Among Schoolchildren of Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Food and Nutrition Bulletin ◽

10.1177/0379572120968978 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 474-493

Author(s):

Tamirat Hailegebriel

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Family Size ◽

Family Income ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Large Family ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Male Sex

Background: Several studies have been carried out assessing the prevalence of undernutrition and possible determinants among schoolchildren in Ethiopia, but there is a lack of systematically gathered and analyzed information. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize epidemiological data on undernutrition and possible determinants among schoolchildren in Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted a systematic review using open access articles that report the prevalence of stunting and wasting/thinness among schoolchildren from PubMed Central, Scopus, and Science direct. The pooled prevalence was determined using a random-effect model while heterogeneities between studies were evaluated by I 2 test. Results: A total of 24 716 schoolchildren were included in the 39 eligible articles. The prevalence of stunting and wasting/thinness among schoolchildren in Ethiopia were 23.1% (95% CI: 19.0-27.0) and 22% (95% CI: 17-26), respectively. There was a marked difference in the prevalence of stunting and wasting/thinness across regions of Ethiopia. The risk of stunting was increased with meal frequency ≤3 times a day (odds ratio [OR] = 3.02, 95% CI: 1.90-4.14), age >10 years (OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.47-2.85), and family size ≥5 (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.40-2.35). Similarly, the risk of wasting/thinness was increased with male sex (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.54-2.58), low family income (OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.30-3.01), and age >10 years (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 0.74-2.82). Conclusion: This study revealed that more than one-fifth of schoolchildren are stunted or wasted/thin in Ethiopia. Large family size, male sex, and student age were consistently associated with stunting and wasting/thinness among schoolchildren. This study highlights the importance of an integrated effort to reduce undernutrition in Ethiopia.

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Pooled estimate of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal of Health Population and Nutrition ◽

10.1186/s41043-021-00253-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Angeline Jeyakumar ◽

Vidhya Shinde ◽

Reshma Ravindran

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Vitamin D Deficiency ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Health Concern ◽

Study Quality ◽

Care Services ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Women In India

Abstract Background Vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women is a public health concern globally. In India, individual studies report high prevalence. However, lack of national data masks the true burden. This work determined the pooled prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in India through a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis. Methods Three different search engines yielded 15 eligible articles. Study quality was assessed by 10 different criteria and summary of study quality was categorized as per Cochrane standards. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among healthy pregnant women and heterogeneity among selected studies. A sample of n = 4088 was used to study the pooled prevalence among pregnant women. Results The random effects combined estimate was 32.35% (95% CI, (12.58–117.48). High heterogeneity (tau2 = 0.39, I2 = 100%) and high risk of bias was observed among the selected studies. The test for overall effect was observed to be z = 2.54(P = 0.01). Conclusion Pooled estimate > 30% emphasizes the need for screening through antenatal care services and initiate preventive measures to address the deficiency.

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Dyslipidaemia and mortality in COVID-19 patients - a meta-analysis

QJM ◽

10.1093/qjmed/hcab071 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marco Zuin ◽

Gianluca Rigatelli ◽

Claudio Bilato ◽

Carlo Cervellati ◽

Giovanni Zuliani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Random Effects ◽

Mortality Risk ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Short Term ◽

Random Effects Models ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Statistical Heterogeneity ◽

Trim And Fill

Abstract Objective The prevalence and prognostic implications of pre-existing dyslipidaemia in patients infected by the SARS-CoV-2 remain unclear. To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence and mortality risk in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing dyslipidaemia. Methods Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed in abstracting data and assessing validity. We searched MEDLINE and Scopus to locate all the articles published up to January 31, 2021, reporting data on dyslipidaemia among COVID-19 survivors and non-survivors. The pooled prevalence of dyslipidaemia was calculated using a random effects model and presenting the related 95% confidence interval (CI), while the mortality risk was estimated using the Mantel-Haenszel random effects models with odds ratio (OR) and related 95% CI. Statistical heterogeneity was measured using the Higgins I2 statistic. Results Eighteen studies, enrolling 74.132 COVID-19 patients [mean age 70.6 years], met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The pooled prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 17.5% of cases (95% CI: 12.3-24.3%, p < 0.0001), with high heterogeneity (I2=98.7%). Pre-existing dyslipidaemia was significantly associated with higher risk of short-term death (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.19-2.41, p = 0.003), with high heterogeneity (I2=88.7%). Due to publication bias, according to the Trim-and-Fill method, the corrected random-effect ORs resulted 1.61, 95% CI 1.13-2.28, p < 0.0001 (one studies trimmed). Conclusions Dyslipidaemia represents a major comorbidity in about 18% of COVID-19 patients but it is associated with a 60% increase of short-term mortality risk.

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Clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02261-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sunny Singhal ◽

Pramod Kumar ◽

Sumitabh Singh ◽

Srishti Saha ◽

Aparajit Ballav Dey

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Older Adults ◽

Critically Ill ◽

Clinical Features ◽

Older Patients ◽

Clinical Characteristics ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Severe Infection ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Pooled Prevalence

Abstract Background Few studies have focused on exploring the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in older patients. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to have a better understanding of the clinical characteristics of older COVID-19 patients. Methods A systematic search of PubMed and Scopus was performed from December 2019 to May 3rd, 2020. Observational studies including older adults (age ≥ 60 years) with COVID-19 infection and reporting clinical characteristics or outcome were included. Primary outcome was assessing weighted pooled prevalence (WPP) of severity and outcomes. Secondary outcomes were clinical features including comorbidities and need of respiratory support. Result Forty-six studies with 13,624 older patients were included. Severe infection was seen in 51% (95% CI– 36-65%, I2–95%) patients while 22% (95% CI– 16-28%, I2–88%) were critically ill. Overall, 11% (95% CI– 5-21%, I2–98%) patients died. The common comorbidities were hypertension (48, 95% CI– 36-60% I2–92%), diabetes mellitus (22, 95% CI– 13-32%, I2–86%) and cardiovascular disease (19, 95% CI – 11-28%, I2–85%). Common symptoms were fever (83, 95% CI– 66-97%, I2–91%), cough (60, 95% CI– 50-70%, I2–71%) and dyspnoea (42, 95% CI– 19-67%, I2–94%). Overall, 84% (95% CI– 60-100%, I2–81%) required oxygen support and 21% (95% CI– 0-49%, I2–91%) required mechanical ventilation. Majority of studies had medium to high risk of bias and overall quality of evidence was low for all outcomes. Conclusion Approximately half of older patients with COVID-19 have severe infection, one in five are critically ill and one in ten die. More high-quality evidence is needed to study outcomes in this vulnerable patient population and factors affecting these outcomes.

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Prevalence of atrial arrhythmia in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.0504 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

P Rujirachun ◽

P Wattanachayakul ◽

N Charoenngam ◽

A Winijkul ◽

P Ungprasert

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Right Ventricular ◽

Atrial Tachycardia ◽

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Atrial Arrhythmia ◽

Funding Source ◽

Ventricular Cardiomyopathy ◽

Pooled Prevalence

Abstract Background and objectives Little is known about atrial involvement in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Recent studies have suggested that atrial arrhythmia (AA), including atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter (AFL), and atrial tachycardia (AT), was common among these patients although the reported prevalence varied considerably across the studies. Methods We searched for published articles indexed in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception through Sep 22, 2019 to identify cohort studies of patients with ARVC that described the prevalence of atrial arrhythmia among the participants. The pooled prevalence across studies was calculated. Results A total of 16 cohort studies with 1,986 patients with ARVC were included into this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of overall AA among patients with ARVC was 17.9% (95% CI, 13.0%–24.0%; I2 88%), the pooled prevalence of AF of 12.9% (95% CI, 9.6%–17.0%; I2 78%), the pooled prevalence of AFL of 5.9% (95% CI, 3.7%–9.2%; I2 70%), and the pooled prevalence of AT of 7.1% (95% CI, 3.7%–13.0%; I2 49%). Conclusions AA is common among patient with ARVC with the pooled prevalence of approximately 18%, which is substantially higher than the reported prevalence of AA in general population. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

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The Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment among Chinese People: A Meta-Analysis

Neuroepidemiology ◽

10.1159/000512597 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 79-91

Author(s):

Yan Deng ◽

Siqi Zhao ◽

Guangwen Cheng ◽

Jiajia Yang ◽

Benchao Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Diagnostic Criteria ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Internal Validity ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Chinese Elderly ◽

Pooled Prevalence

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) induced the majority number of dementia patients. The prevalence of MCI in China varied across studies with different screening tools and diagnostic criteria. Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled MCI prevalence among the population aged 55 years and older in China. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang, CQVIP, and CBMdisc were searched for studies on prevalence of MCI among Chinese elderly between January 1, 1980, and February 10, 2020. The quality assessment was conducted via external validity, internal validity, and informativity, the pooled prevalence was calculated through the random-effect model, and the homogeneity was evaluated by Cochran’s Q test and I2. Results: Fifty-three studies with 123,766 subjects were included. The pooled prevalence of MCI among Chinese elderly was 15.4% (95% CI: 13.5–17.4%). Subgroup analyses indicated that the prevalence calculated with different screening tools was 20.2% (95% CI: 15.1–25.9%) for Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and 13.0% (95% CI: 10.7–15.5%) for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). According to different diagnostic criteria, the prevalence was 14.8% (95% CI: 12.2–17.6%) for Petersen criteria, 15.0% (95% CI: 12.7–17.5%) for DSM-IV, and 21.2% (95% CI: 17.5–25.2%) for Chinese Expert Consensus on Cognitive Impairment (CECCI). Besides, women, older adults, illiterate people, rural residents, and those who lived with unhealthy lifestyles and morbidity showed higher prevalence. Conclusions: The prevalence of MCI in China was 15.4%, which varied by demographics, lifestyles, morbidity, screening tools, and diagnostic criteria. In further studies, screening tools and diagnosis criteria should be considered when estimating MCI prevalence.

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More than 50 long-term effects of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95565-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sandra Lopez-Leon ◽

Talia Wegman-Ostrosky ◽

Carol Perelman ◽

Rosalinda Sepulveda ◽

Paulina A. Rebolledo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Original Data ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Attention Disorder ◽

Initial Recovery ◽

Meta Analyses

AbstractCOVID-19 can involve persistence, sequelae, and other medical complications that last weeks to months after initial recovery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to identify studies assessing the long-term effects of COVID-19. LitCOVID and Embase were searched to identify articles with original data published before the 1st of January 2021, with a minimum of 100 patients. For effects reported in two or more studies, meta-analyses using a random-effects model were performed using the MetaXL software to estimate the pooled prevalence with 95% CI. PRISMA guidelines were followed. A total of 18,251 publications were identified, of which 15 met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of 55 long-term effects was estimated, 21 meta-analyses were performed, and 47,910 patients were included (age 17–87 years). The included studies defined long-COVID as ranging from 14 to 110 days post-viral infection. It was estimated that 80% of the infected patients with SARS-CoV-2 developed one or more long-term symptoms. The five most common symptoms were fatigue (58%), headache (44%), attention disorder (27%), hair loss (25%), and dyspnea (24%). Multi-disciplinary teams are crucial to developing preventive measures, rehabilitation techniques, and clinical management strategies with whole-patient perspectives designed to address long COVID-19 care.

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Magnitude and determinants of neural tube defect in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-021-03848-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Atlaw ◽

Yohannes Tekalegn ◽

Biniyam Sahiledengle ◽

Kenbon Seyoum ◽

Damtew Solomon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Neural Tube ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Maternal Exposure ◽

X Ray ◽

Effect Model ◽

Pooled Prevalence

Abstract Background Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of disorders that arise from the failure of the neural tube close between 21 and 28 days after conception. About 90% of neural tube defects and 95% of death due to these defects occurs in low-income countries. Since these NTDs cause considerable morbidity and mortality, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of NTDs in Africa. Methods The protocol of this study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO number: CRD42020149356). All major databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, African Journals Online (AJOL), and Google Scholar search engine were systematically searched. A random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of NTDs in Africa, and Cochran’s Q-statistics and I2 tests were used to assess heterogeneity between included studies. Publication bias was assessed using Begg ’s tests, and the association between determinant factors and NTDs was estimated using a random-effect model. Results Of the total 2679 articles, 37 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of NTDs in Africa was 50.71 per 10,000 births (95% CI: 48.03, 53.44). Folic acid supplementation (AOR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.19–0.85), maternal exposure to pesticide (AOR: 3.29; 95% CI: 1.04–10.39), mothers with a previous history of stillbirth (AOR: 3.35, 95% CI: 1.99–5.65) and maternal exposure to x-ray radiation (AOR 2.34; 95% CI: 1.27–4.31) were found to be determinants of NTDs. Conclusions The pooled prevalence of NTDs in Africa was found to be high. Maternal exposure to pesticides and x-ray radiation were significantly associated with NTDs. Folic acid supplementation before and within the first month of pregnancy was found to be a protective factor for NTDs.

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Overweight and Obesity Among Adult HIV Infected Peoples Receiving ART in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health ◽

10.1177/2150132721993647 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 215013272199364

Author(s):

Robel Hussen Kabthymer ◽

Solomon Nega Techane ◽

Temesgen Muche ◽

Helen Ali Ewune ◽

Semagn Mekonnen Abate ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Publication Bias ◽

Addis Ababa ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Obesity And Overweight ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Nutrition And Diet ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity ◽

Trim And Fill

Background: Over-nutrition and diet-linked non-communicable morbidities are showing increasing trend overtime. Even if there are different factors that affect the change in BMI other than ART, several authors have reported increases in BMI among PLHIV on treatment that are equal to or surpass the general population. This study is aimed to estimate the prevalence of obesity and overweight among adult HIV infected peoples taking ART in Ethiopia. Method: PubMed, CINAHL, Web of science, global health and Google scholar electronic databases were used to perform a systematic literature search. Two authors independently extracted all the necessary data using a structured data extraction format. Data analysis was done using STATA Version 14. The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed by using I2 test. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence. Publication bias was checked using Funnel plot and Egger’s test. Result: Two thousand seven hundred and fifty-one studies were reviewed and 13 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis of 13 studies, comprising 4994 participants resulted in pooled prevalence of overweight to be 17.85% (95% CI: 12.22-23.47). Whereas, the pooled prevalence of overweight was found to be 3.90 (95% CI: 2.31-5.49) but after adjusting for publication bias using trim and fill analysis it has become 3.58 (95% CI: 2.04-5.13). Magnitude of both overweight and obesity was higher in studies conducted in Addis Ababa, studies done after 2016 and studies having sample size of less than 400, in subgroup analysis. Conclusion: The magnitude of overweight and obesity among HIV infected peoples taking ART in Ethiopia is high. There is a need to have a routine screening to PLWHA on the risk of over-nutrition in order to facilitate early detection.

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