Ngwira, AlfredManda, S.O.M. (Samuel)Karimuribo, Esron DanielKimera, Sharadhuli Iddi2025-05-132025-05-132025-04Ngwira, A., Manda, S., Karimuribo, E.D. et al. Meta-analysis of the prevalence of tuberculosis in cattle and zoonotic tuberculosis in humans in sub-Saharan Africa. One Health Outlook 7, 14 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42522-024-00130-8.2524-4655 (online)10.1186/s42522-024-00130-8http://hdl.handle.net/2263/102368DATA AVAILABILITY : Data is provided within the manuscript or supplementary information files.BACKGROUND : Tuberculosis (TB) in cattle negatively affects the cattle economy in Africa, with zoonotic TB posing drug-resistance issues in humans. The burden of TB in cattle and zoonotic TB in humans in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is not well understood. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of both TB in cattle and zoonotic TB in humans in SSA through meta-analysis. METHODS : Research on TB prevalence was sourced from multiple databases. A random effects meta-analysis model estimated TB prevalence in SSA and its regions, while meta-regression identified risk factors. The analysis included 114 studies for cattle and 59 for humans. RESULTS : The estimated TB prevalence in cattle was 5.06% (95% CI: 3.76–6.78), with a higher burden in West Africa. The prevalence was greater on farms than at abattoirs. Among humans, M. bovis prevalence was 0.73% (95% CI: 0.53–1.01), increasing to 1.56% (95% CI: 1.04–2.33) in TB incident cases, especially in the West and East Africa. Higher prevalence was noted among livestock workers, and in drug-resistant cases. Significant factors influencing TB prevalence varied for cattle and humans, including country, diagnostic methods, and study populations. CONCLUSION : Focusing interventions on farms and livestock workers could help reduce the disease burden.en© The Author(s) 2024. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.Tuberculosis (TB)CattleBovine tuberculosis (bTB)Zoonotic tuberculosisMycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)Article