Herpes zoster infection in adults with rheumatic diseases in Colombia: A real world-data analysis

Aim of the work: To determine the prevalence of herpes zoster (HZ) infection in adults over 18 years old in Colombia and its association with immune-mediated diseases or rheumatic diseases (RDs). Patients and methods: The official database of the Ministry of Health of Colombia was analyzed for a period of five years. Information was taken from people over 18 years of age who consulted the system due to HZ infection. To estimate the prevalence per thousand inhabitants, the total number of individuals treated during that five-year period was used as the denominator. To calculate the prevalence ratio (PR), the prevalence of HZ in individuals with each associated immune-mediated disease or RDs was taken as the numerator, over the prevalence in individuals of the same sex and age group without the associated disease. Results: The unadjusted prevalence of HZ infection per 1000 adults was 7.15 (7.87 in women, 6.3 in men). In those aged 65 and older, the prevalence was 12.63/1000 (13.57 in women, 11.46 in men). In the adult general population, one in 127 women and one in 159 men will suffer an HZ infection, with the risk increasing to one in 64 in women and one in 87 men in those over 65-years-of-age. Overall, with all conditions combined, the risk increases three-fold if the patient has any of the associated conditions. Conclusions: A high prevalence of HZ infection was found in immune-mediated diseases and RDs. This information should be considered by decision makers to improve the prevention of HZ infection.