Herpes zoster burden in a private healthcare setting of Argentina

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a frequent condition that can lead to debilitating pain, with complications that may persist for months. The most frequent complication is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), but ocular, nervous, and dermatological complications are also common. While the incidence of HZ increases with age, few studies have assessed its burden in Latin America, particularly in Argentina.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the electronic health records of the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires (HIBA) Health Plan from 2010 to 2022. We included members of the HIBA Health Insurance Plan aged over 18 years with HZ in the analysis. We calculated the incidence of HZ and its complications in the general population.

During the study period, an average of 138,977 members were followed up yearly, 8,122 cases of HZ were recorded, representing a mean incidence of 4.50 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.15-4.85) per 1,000 person-years (PY). The incidence increased with age, being lowest in adults 18-29 years (1.87 cases per 1,000 PY) and highest in adults 80-89 years (7.27 cases per 1,000 PY). PHN frequency was 50.85 cases per 1,000 HZ patients (95% CI: 37.31-64.39). The median duration of PHN was 981 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 487-1,718). Other complications included cutaneous (31.3 cases/1,000 HZ cases), ophthalmic (6.0 cases/1,000 HZ cases), and neurological (1.85 cases/1,000 HZ cases) complications. Recurrent HZ occurred in 4.25% of cases, with a median time to recurrence of 815 days (IQR: 308-1,890).

These results illustrate the high burden of HZ and its complications in Argentina, highlighting the need for HZ prevention.