Prevalence and Geographical Distribution of Foodborne Yersinia enterocolitica in Chinese Livestock and Their Products: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2000–2024)

TL;DR

This study finds that Yersinia enterocolitica is commonly found in Chinese livestock, especially pigs and in southern regions, and suggests better hygiene and detection methods are needed.

Contribution

The first comprehensive synthesis of Y. enterocolitica prevalence in Chinese livestock from 2000 to 2024, revealing geographical and methodological trends.

Findings

The pooled prevalence of Y. enterocolitica in Chinese livestock was 9.37%, with the highest rates in Southern China.

Pigs had the highest prevalence (≈10%), while qPCR was more effective for detection than traditional culture methods.

Prevalence was positively correlated with environmental factors like temperature, rainfall, and humidity.

Abstract

Y. enterocolitica is a psychrotrophic zoonotic bacterium transmitted through contaminated animal products, yet no long-term national synthesis of its prevalence in Chinese livestock has previously been reported. This meta-analysis and systematic review of peer-reviewed research articles published between 2000 and 1 August 2025; we screened 1092 records and included 28 studies covering 5842 animals across 15 provinces. The pooled prevalence was 9.37% (5.55–14.03), with significant geographical variations, including the largest burden in Southern China, and higher rates in studies conducted before 2015. Pigs had the highest prevalence rate (≈10%) while cattle, sheep, and goats had a lower one (<5%). Regarding detection sensitivity, qPCR was more sensitive than culture-based techniques, and meat samples yielded higher detection rates than fecal samples. Univariate meta-regression showed that pathogen occurrence was positively correlated with temperature, rainfall, altitude, and humidity. Overall, these findings showed that Y. enterocolitica remains widespread in Chinese livestock and meat products, highlighting the need for adopting sensitive, standardized diagnostics within a One-Health framework, enhancing slaughterhouse hygiene, and implementing region-specific biosecurity measures.

Yersinia enterocolitica is a psychrotrophic zoonotic pathogen that causes diarrhea in animals and enteritis in humans, mainly transmitted through the food chain. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the prevalence, geographical distribution, and related risk factors of Y. enterocolitica in livestock throughout the Chinese Mainland. Comprehensive searches were conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases for studies between 1 January 2000 and 1 August 2025. Out of 1092 identified studies, 28 met the inclusion criteria. The estimated overall prevalence of Y. enterocolitica was 9.37%. Prior to 2015, the prevalence peaked at 9.69% but declined in subsequent years. The highest prevalence was found in Southern China (25.00%). Among livestock species, pigs showed higher susceptibility (9.93%) compared to cattle (4.67%). Meat samples exhibited the highest prevalence (15.47%), while qPCR yielded the highest detection rate (10.79%). Geographical factors such as longitude, latitude, altitude, climate, temperature, rainfall, and humidity also influenced prevalence patterns. Y. enterocolitica remains widely distributed in livestock and meat products. Variability was linked to regional, species-specific, and methodological aspects, highlighting the need for One-Health-based monitoring, stricter hygiene regulations, and standardized diagnostics to protect food safety.

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