Prevalence of <i>CAMPYLOBACTER</i> in specific food and food products: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Food safety has emerged as a major global concern due to the growing number of food contamination incidences. As a result, foodborne disease burdens continue to rise, adversely affecting the growing number of vulnerable populations. A major pathogen of concern worldwide is <i>Campylobacter</i>, primarily associated with raw foods of animal origin. The pathogen is responsible for causing human campylobacteriosis and other serious health symptoms that result in high case-fatality rates and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis compiled results of cross-sectional primary studies reporting the prevalence of <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. in foods. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis protocol, a total of 131 articles were included in the meta-analysis after screening and assessment. From the meta-analysis conducted at a 95% confidence interval, <i>Campylobacter</i> was highly prevalent in poultry products (51.9% [47.0–56.7]) and vegetable products (43.3% [17.9–68.7]), but least prevalent in ready-to-eat foods (5.50% [−0.31–11.3]). This systematic literature review and meta-analysis identified poultry product consumption as a primary risk factor for campylobacteriosis transmission. These findings underscore the need for effective risk management strategies across the poultry production value chain to mitigate this public health threat.