Incidence of Ascaris Lumbricoides Over 20 Years in the Population of the United Mexican States (2003-2022) and Projection Through 2030.

Abstract

Purpose: Soil-transmitted helminth infections affect people who live in areas with poor sanitation and low socioeconomic levels. Ascaris lumbricoides is one of the most frequent parasites worldwide and in México. The General Directorate of Epidemiology reports data related to infections weekly, and this study was based on that. The aim of this study was to analyze the SINAVE data for twenty years (2003-2022) to assess the incidence of ascariasis in the United Mexican States.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational analysis of ascariasis from January 2003 to December 2022, classifying data by year, age group, state, and gender. A predictive model was used to estimate the new cases until 2030.

Results: From 2003 to 2022, the total number of new cases registered in the whole country decreased by 81.2%. The geographical distribution of the new cases was more pronounced in the Neotropical region of Yucatan, Tabasco, and Chiapas States. Women and infants from 1 to 9 years old exhibited the highest incidence. The prediction model showed that in 2030, there will be an incidence higher than 15,000 new cases in the United Mexican States.

Conclusions: This work indicates that Ascaris infection tends to decrease an is in accordance to our model, and could be related to hand hygiene and the look-down approach during the COVID-19 pandemic.