Burden of Food-Borne Trematodiases in China: Trends from 1990 to 2021 and Projections to 2035

Objective: Food-borne trematodiases are a group of parasitic diseases primarily transmitted to humans via the consumption of raw or undercooked aquatic products. This study aims to assess the prevalence of and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to food-borne trematodiases in China from 1990 to 2021 and to project the DALYs up to 2035. Methods: Data for this study were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021. Temporal trends of age-standardized and age-specific prevalence and DALY rates were quantified using the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). A Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was applied to project DALY counts and rates through 2035. Results: In 2021, the estimated number of prevalent cases of food-borne trematodiases in China was 33.32 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 29.25–38.35 million), contributing to 768,297.4 DALYs (95% UI: 383,882.8–1,367,826.1). From 1990 to 2021, the number of prevalent cases and DALYs declined by 9.02% and 18.11%, respectively. The age-standardized prevalence and DALY rates also showed downward trends (EAPC: -0.96 and -1.21, respectively). Higher prevalence and DALY rates were consistently observed in males compared with females. By age, the middle-aged group bore the highest burden, while the older population showed the most rapid increase in the number of prevalent cases and DALYs. Projected DALYs and DALY rate remain stable through 2035. Conclusions: The burden of food-borne trematodiases in China declined from 1990 to 2021, but prevalence remains high, and it contributed considerably to disability and premature death. This study also revealed gender and age disparities in the burden of this disease. Continued control efforts and targeted interventions are essential to further reducing the burden of food-borne trematodiases in China.