Scientists predict that foodborne fluke infection rates will remain stable until 2030.
Foodborne paragonimiasis, including paragonimiasis, paragonimiasis, paragonimiasis, paragonimiasis, and paragonimiasis, is a neglected public health problem, particularly in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions.
Infection with the parasite usually occurs through ingestion of contaminated fish, crustaceans, or plants that carry the trematode larvae. It is estimated that approximately 100 species of food-poisoning fluke can infect humans, including liver fluke, lung fluke, and intestinal fluke. Infection can cause severe liver and lung disease.
The Global Burden of Disease 2021 database was used to estimate the crude indicators of foodborne fluke disease at the global, regional and national levels from 1990 to 1990, the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) and the annual age-standardized prevalence disability-adjusted survival rate ( ASDR). 2021 has been written in the diary Infectious diseases caused by poverty. Scientists also looked at disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and predicted trends through 2030.
It is estimated that there will be approximately 44.5 million infections in 17 countries in 2021. The Western Pacific region had the highest ASPR and ASDR. The disease burden was greater among men, peaking in the 50-59 age group.
From 1990 to 2021, foodborne fluke infections decreased significantly in Laos, Thailand, and the Philippines, but Kazakhstan had the largest average annual change in DALYs.
In 2021, the global foodborne fluke disease DALY was 998,028 and the ASDR was 11.78, a decrease of 2.40 from 1990 to 2021.
public health threat
The Western Pacific region consistently had the highest number of infections from 1990 to 2021. The decline was greatest in Southeast Asia. However, the prevalence of foodborne flukes is increasing in the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean region, and European regions. In some African countries, chronic symptoms caused by paragonimiasis are not considered as a priority and are not monitored, resulting in a lack of data.
The countries with the highest number of infections in 2021 were China, Thailand, South Korea, and Vietnam, accounting for 85% of the world’s foodborne fluke disease cases.
From 1990 to 2021, the largest increase in ASDR was observed in Iran, followed by Ukraine, Spain, and Japan.
The spread of foodborne paragonimiasis is influenced by human behavior in endemic areas. It is also influenced by ecological and environmental factors such as poverty, pollution, and demographics.
Scientists said that while paragonimiasis remains a public health threat, ASDR is expected to remain stable with a slight decline in the coming years.
From a management perspective, this issue is under-represented or not addressed at all in most countries. Deeply ingrained cultural eating habits are difficult to change, so reinfection was common. The complex life cycle of foodborne fluke, which involves snails, fish, plants, and animals, makes the transmission process difficult to stop. Health education programs targeted at elementary school students were more effective in promoting and maintaining changed behaviors.
Low-income countries also face an underestimated burden of disease, highlighting the need for improved surveillance and control programs.
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