Population-Based Study of the Epidemiology of Herpes Zoster in Korea

Abstract

General epidemiological data regarding herpes zoster (HZ) are necessary for treatment and prevention of this disease. In addition, epidemiological data can play an important role in evaluating the efficacy and impact of vaccination. Though several epidemiological studies of HZ in Korea have been conducted, they usually depend on hospital-based data and may not be representative of HZ characteristics all over Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and other epidemiological features of HZ in the general Korean population. We used population-based medical records from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, which includes 50,908,646 medical insurance subscribers, to calculate the incidence of HZ. Also, we analyzed an age-stratified random sample of 1,375,842 individuals to study descriptive epidemiologic characteristics of HZ in Korea in 2011. We observed that the incidence of HZ was 10.4 per 1,000 person-years and was strongly correlated with age. Sex had a major influence on HZ incidence; overall, there were 12.6 cases per 1,000 person years in women and 8.3 cases per 1,000 person years in men. There was no difference in incidence according to the locality and season.Graphical Abstract

The risk of herpes zoster among patients with ankylosing spondylitis: A population‐based cohort study in Taiwan

“…9 It was reported that the incidence rate of HZ in South Korean AS patients was comparable with the general population: the incidence rate was 11.0 per 1000 person-years 10 and 10.04 per 1000 person-years. 19 Our study presented similar result to these researches.…”

“…In the USA, the incidence rate of HZ in AS patients is higher than in the general population, but the results showed no statistical significance . It was reported that the incidence rate of HZ in South Korean AS patients was comparable with the general population: the incidence rate was 11.0 per 1000 person‐years and 10.04 per 1000 person‐years . Our study presented similar result to these researches.…”

A clinico-epidemiological study of herpes zoster

“…1 Most studies have shown the maximum incidence of herpes zoster to be in the elderly population. 3,4 This study however showed majority of cases in the age group of 21-30 years with a mean age of 30 years. This may be due to population bias as the study group consisted predominantly of younger population or due to a true younger age incidence of herpes zoster in Asians and in tropical regions.…”

A Study of Intravenous Administration of Vitamin C in the Treatment of Acute Herpetic Pain and Postherpetic Neuralgia

“…HZ occurs in about 10 per 1,000 people older than 60 years, showing that the incidence of HZ increases with age6. In South Korea, it occurs in 10.4 cases per 1,000 people16. The annual incidence of HZ in South Korea had increased for the past 5 years16, and the burden of disease has also increased due to long-term treatment, compared to that in other countries17.…”

“…In South Korea, it occurs in 10.4 cases per 1,000 people16. The annual incidence of HZ in South Korea had increased for the past 5 years16, and the burden of disease has also increased due to long-term treatment, compared to that in other countries17. The reason is that cell-mediated immunity plays an important role in the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus and the development of HZ, and it decreases with age15.…”