Prevalence of CAMPYLOBACTER 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 Campylobacter, 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 Campylobacter 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, Campylobacter 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.