Tabasco has experienced a significant increase in cases of alcoholic liver cirrhosis during 2026. According to health records, 90 cases had been reported through epidemiological week 31 of 2026, compared with 45 cases during the same period in 2025. This represents a 100% increase, meaning the number of reported cases doubled.
This increase does not necessarily mean that all of these people recently began drinking alcohol. Cirrhosis generally develops after years of repeated and prolonged liver damage, so cases diagnosed or reported in 2026 may reflect alcohol-consumption patterns from previous years.
What Is Alcoholic Cirrhosis?
Alcoholic cirrhosis occurs when prolonged, excessive alcohol consumption causes repeated damage to the liver. Over time, healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, which changes the structure of the organ and reduces its ability to function properly.
Not everyone who drinks alcohol develops cirrhosis. The risk depends on factors such as the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption, years of drinking, sex, nutritional status, and individual health factors. Approximately 10–20% of people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol develop cirrhosis.
Symptoms and Complications
Cirrhosis can remain relatively unnoticed during its early stages. As the disease progresses, people may experience:
- Fatigue and weight loss.
- Jaundice, which causes the skin and eyes to become yellow.
- An enlarged liver.
- Accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, known as ascites.
- Gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Confusion or other neurological problems caused by the accumulation of toxic substances in the blood.
- Liver failure.
Cirrhosis can also increase the risk of developing liver cancer.
The Problem Goes Beyond Cirrhosis
Alcohol-related liver disease can develop in several stages. Before reaching cirrhosis, a person may develop fatty liver, liver inflammation, or fibrosis. Continued excessive alcohol consumption can cause these conditions to progress into advanced liver disease.
For this reason, the increase from 45 to 90 reported cases in Tabasco is relevant from a public-health perspective. However, these figures alone cannot establish exactly why the increase occurred, nor do they necessarily mean that problematic alcohol consumption increased by exactly the same percentage.
An Important Point About the 2026 Figures
The 90 cases correspond to reports through epidemiological week 31, rather than the final number for the entire year. Additional cases may therefore be reported during the remaining weeks of 2026.
Source: oem
