According to the epidemiological report of the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of this year—with July 15 as the deadline—there have been 24 states with different degrees of increase in cases of hepatitis A.
300,934 cases were concentrated in these entities, compared to 200,159 in the same period last year, which represents a global increase of 82.2% year-on-year.
The region of Huastica, which includes six states including Hidalgo, Puebla, Queretaro, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Veracruz, has been worst affected. The number of cases increased from 296 in the previous year to 788, an increase of 166.2%.
The most notable increase was in the state of Aguascalientes, with an increase of 800%, as the cumulative number of patients this year compared to the same period in 2022 increased from 6 to 54 patients.
In second place was the state of Coahuila, which saw an increase of 276.6% as the number of cases increased from 30 to 113 in one period.
Then came Durango, which registered 64 patients with the disease, up from 20 last year, a 220% increase.
Tlaxcala, on the other hand, has seen a 145.4% increase in viral hepatitis A cases as the number of infections increases from 11 to 27 cases from 2022 to this year.
In response, epidemiologist Alejandro Macias told La Razón that the increase in the incidence “shows that Mexico already has to apply a vaccine against this disease”.
In terms of prevention, he mentioned that the disease can be avoided if sanitation is improved and drinking water shortages are addressed.
But at the same time, he said, it was necessary to use “a vaccine that is considered unnecessary and expensive in Mexico because the disease is prevalent in early childhood and it is therefore considered no longer necessary to vaccinate against it.” hepatitis.
He mentioned that so far, this biological vaccine has not been included in the national vaccination plan and is only used in private hospitals.
Macias warns that the disease can leave a legacy. While complete cure is most common, there are cases where it can worsen and become cirrhosis or autoimmune hepatitis.
On July 18, authorities in Sinaloa announced the installation of a sanitary fence to prevent contagion following multiple cases in nearby Nayarit state.
On the same day, Sinaloa Health Minister Cuitrahuac Gonzalez Galindo reported that, in addition to the siege, there are plans to intensify sanitation measures and launch vaccination campaigns for the most vulnerable.