Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Jan;12(1):81-93.
doi: 10.1007/s40121-022-00715-8. Epub 2022 Dec 3.

Epidemiology of Varicella Zoster Virus and Herpes Zoster Virus in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Review of the Literature

Selim Badur  1 , Onur Ozudogru  2 , Mansour Khalaf  3 , Serdar Ozturk  1 , Sarah Albreiki  4 , Salah Al Awaidy  5 , Adriana Guzman-Holst  6
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of Varicella Zoster Virus and Herpes Zoster Virus in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Review of the Literature

Selim Badur et al. Infect Dis Ther. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction: The reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in previously infected individuals can cause herpes zoster (HZ), which is characterized by a localized, painful dermatomal rash. While there is a global trend of increasing HZ cases, there is a lack of research examining the epidemiology of HZ within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Therefore, we aimed to critically appraise evidence on VZV and HZ epidemiology in the GCC countries and identify gaps in the current literature.

Methods: A literature review was conducted via a comprehensive appraisal of the literature. PubMed and local-language journals were searched to identify articles related to HZ and VZV published up until 31 January 2022, with a sole focus on the GCC countries. Included studies reported on surveillance data, seroepidemiology, and patient outcomes for HZ and VZV, and comprised primary data reports, case series, case reports, narrative and systematic literature reviews, studies reporting HZ incidence or prevalence, and Ministry of Health reports.

Results: Thirteen studies were found that reported on VZV seroprevalence in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar, ranging from 15.0% to 92.2%, while no data were identified for Bahrain, Kuwait, or Oman. There was very limited country-wide information on the incidence of HZ in GCC countries, and three identified studies reported HZ prevalence as seen in a single clinic, ranging from 0.62% to 2.3%. A single study from Saudi Arabia and government surveillance data reported on the impact of VZV vaccination on VZV infection, though there was no evidence on the impact of VZV vaccination on HZ.

Conclusion: There is a clear gap in the literature regarding the incidence of HZ infection, and the impacts of HZ and VZV vaccinations in the GCC countries. Further research into the epidemiology of HZ is necessary to inform the implementation of vaccination programs in the GCC countries.

Keywords: Chicken pox; GCC countries; Herpes zoster; Shingles; Varicella; Varicella zoster virus.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Arvin AM. Varicella-zoster virus. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1996;9:361–381. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gater A, Abetz-Webb L, Carroll S, Mannan A, Serpell M, Johnson R. Burden of herpes zoster in the UK: findings from the zoster quality of life (ZQOL) study. BMC Infect Dis. 2014;14:402. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Schmader K, Gnann JW, Jr, Watson CP. The epidemiological, clinical, and pathological rationale for the herpes zoster vaccine. J Infect Dis. 2008;197(Suppl 2):S207–S215. - PubMed
    1. https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/clinical-overview.html. Accessed 07 Jun 2022.
    1. Thompson RR, Kong CL, Porco TC, Kim E, Ebert CD, Acharya NR. Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia: changing incidence rates from 1994 to 2018 in the United States. Clin Infect Dis. 2021;73:e3210–e3217. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources