Seroprevalence of Major Viral Pathogens Associated with Bovine Respiratory Disease in Cattle in Türkiye and Scenario-Based Estimates of Economic Loss

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a major health and economic concern in cattle production worldwide, resulting in substantial losses through reduced productivity, mortality, and treatment and veterinary service costs. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of major BRD-associated viral pathogens in cattle in Türkiye and to quantify the potential economic loss per BRD-affected dairy cow using a scenario-based stochastic economic model. A systematic review and multilevel random-effects meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Thirty-one eligible studies published between 2000 and 2026 were included in the systematic review. Only antibody-based estimates obtained using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or serum neutralization (SN) tests were included in the quantitative seroprevalence meta-analysis, whereas PCR-based estimates were retained for descriptive evaluation. The pooled seroprevalence estimates were 72.0% (95% CI: 43.8–89.5) for bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), 59.5% (95% CI: 28.7–84.3) for parainfluenza virus type 3 (PI-3), 55.5% (95% CI: 42.1–68.2) for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and 43.6% (95% CI: 15.7–76.1) for bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1). In the multivariable multilevel meta-regression, the overall effects of viral pathogen, diagnostic method, and population status on seroprevalence were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Egger’s weighted regression tests did not indicate statistically significant funnel-plot asymmetry for any of the four pathogens. The potential economic loss per BRD-affected dairy cow was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation model with 10,000 iterations. The mean potential economic loss was USD 331.63 per affected cow, with a median of USD 330.31 and a 95% uncertainty interval of USD 245.90–423.97. Live weight loss, treatment and veterinary service costs, mortality-related losses, and milk yield loss were the major components of the scenario-based economic loss. These findings indicate substantial exposure to BRD-associated viral pathogens in cattle populations in Türkiye and demonstrate that BRD may be associated with considerable economic consequences in affected dairy cattle. The results provide evidence to support BRD surveillance and control strategies and the prioritization of preventive measures. Future multicenter epidemiological studies using standardized methodologies and representative cattle populations are warranted to improve the precision and generalizability of national estimates.