Epidemiology of small ruminant trypanosomosis in ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Small ruminant trypanosomosis is a neglected vector-borne disease with a significant distribution in Sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence on the national pooled prevalence and factors of small ruminant trypanosomosis in Ethiopia is limited. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to comprehensively analyze the nationwide pooled prevalence and identify associated factors with small ruminant trypanosomosis in Ethiopia. This work followed the PRISMA guidelines and was based on a protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261368945). A detailed online search was conducted between April 14 and May 1, 2026, across databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect to identify articles published between 2000 and April 2026. This systematic review and meta-analysis identified 16 eligible observational studies. After heterogeneity assessment (I 2 = 88.96, Q = 271.66, p < 0.001), a random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence. The estimated nationwide pooled prevalence was 4% (95% CI: 3-5, p = 0.001). Trim-and-fill analysis revealed significant publication bias by Egger’s (z = 4.67, p < 0.001) and Begg’s (z = 2.69, p = 0.007) tests. Among parasite species, the highest infection rates were observed for Trypanosoma congolense (2.30), while T. brucei accounted for the lowest prevalence (0.50). Associated factor assessments demonstrated that animals with medium (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.1-3.20) and poor body condition (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.11-2.13) were significantly more likely to be infected compared to those with good body condition. Furthermore, infected animals exhibited significantly lower packed cell volume (PCV) values than aparasitemic controls (Hedges's g = -2.83, 95% CI: -3.90- -1.76), p < 0.001). This meta-analysis result showed that the prevalence of small ruminant trypanosomosis is a persistent endemic threat in Ethiopia, heavily influenced by regional variations and animal body condition score, and substantial reductions of PCV levels. Targeted, region-specific vector interventions and optimized therapeutic control efforts are necessary.