Front Vet Sci. 2026 Jul 8;13:1863158. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1863158. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cephalopina titillator (C. titillator) is the causative agent of camel nasopharyngeal myiasis and is widespread in camel-rearing regions worldwide, causing impaired health, reduced productivity, and economic losses. However, despite the veterinary importance of C. titillator, global epidemiological evidence remains limited and fragmented, and no comprehensive synthesis of prevalence data across camel-rearing regions has previously been conducted. The objective of this review was to estimate the global pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation in camels. In addition, subgroup analyses were made to assess the effect of camel species, geographic region, and study period on the pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation.
METHODS: The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The review protocol was prospectively registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD420261344750. A literature search was conducted in multiple databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), Google Scholar, and CAB Direct (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International database; CABI). Pooled prevalence was estimated by a random-effects meta-analysis using R software. Heterogeneity of the prevalence reports was assessed using Cochran’s Q and the I2 statistic. Funnel plot and Egger’s test were used for assessing study bias.
RESULTS: Forty-one epidemiological studies involving 18,959 camels from 11 countries were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation was 67% (95% CI: 59-75%). Heterogeneity among studies was very high (I2 = 99.1%, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in pooled prevalence among study regions (p = 0.0016), whereas pooled prevalence was not significantly affected by study period or camel species (p > 0.05). Although the funnel plot showed slight asymmetry, Egger’s regression test did not indicate statistically significant small-study effects (p = 0.497).
CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated a high pooled prevalence of C. titillator infestation (67%; 95% CI: 59-75%) and revealed important geographical variation across camel-rearing countries, highlighting the substantial epidemiological burden of infestation and the need for region-specific surveillance and control strategies.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, Registration No. CRD420261344750. Publicly accessible at: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=1344750.
PMID:42488901 | PMC:PMC13388046 | DOI:10.3389/fvets.2026.1863158
