Herpes zoster burden of illness and health care resource utilisation in the Australian population aged 50 years and older

Incidence of zoster and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) and associated health care resource utilisation were investigated in the Australian population aged ≥50 years, using general practice data from 2000 to 2006, and pharmaceutical prescribing, hospital morbidity and emergency department data from 1998 to 2005. Zoster and PHN incidence rates were estimated as ∼10/1000 and 1.45/1000 persons, respectively, with antivirals prescribed for 73.5% of zoster cases. Estimated hospitalisation and emergency department visit rates were 0.67/1000 and 0.38/1000 persons, respectively. Management of zoster (including PHN) involved ∼2.4 general practitioner consultations. Total costs to the health care system were estimated as ∼32.8 million per year. The substantial burden of zoster and PHN highlights the potential benefit of zoster vaccination.