Abstract Details

Neurocysticercosis (NC) is one of the main parasitic diseases affecting the central nervous system. Usually linked to poverty, it is considered endemic in most Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America’s countries. The evaluation of its frequency in endemic countries is difficult to perform since there are almost no systematic records. Previous observations have suggested that the prevalence of the disease has been decreasing in the country.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the evolution of the frequency of hospitalization of patients with NC between 1995 and 2019, at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery Manuel Velasco Suarez (INNN) as well as in secondary and primary-care levels.

The data was obtained from the epidemiology service, using ICD-10 coding B.69 and complemented with hospital discharge data from all Mexican public care institutions between 2004 and 2017, as well as incidence data from the National System of Epidemiologic Vigilance in primary-care. 

The frequency of hospitalization decreased steadily both in the neurosurgery (R= - 0.71; p=0.001) and neurology (R= - 0.68; p= 0.003) services, while the average age of the patients increased significantly during the period of study (R= 0.766, P=0.0001). The analysis of hospital discharges from public institutions (R= -0.978; P=0.0001) and registered incidence in primary-care rural clinics (R= -0.929; P=0.0001) confirmed the existence of the same trend all over the country. 

These results are very encouraging, probably related to the improvement of hygienic-sanitary conditions in rural areas. Confirmation of these trends would be excellent news, especially in the context of PAHO/WHO’s action plan to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases from the region. However, although less frequent, the disease persists, and efforts to achieve its eradication must continue.