What is herpes zoster (shingles)?
Herpes zoster is a painful condition caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus2
Herpes zoster (shingles)
Almost all (90–95%) adults in the UK are infected with the varicella zoster virus (VZV), which causes shingles.1,2
Following the primary VZV infection, which causes chickenpox, VZV lies dormant in the sensory dorsal root ganglia.2 VZV reactivation results in shingles and is associated with ageing and immunosuppression.2
1 in 4 people will develop shingles in their lifetime.2
Herpes zoster (shingles): Disease overview
Epidemiology
In the clinic: Diagnosis
Shared care
Knowledge in practice
References
- UK Health Security Agency. Varicella: The Green Book, chapter 34 (June 2019). Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6213ba8d8fa8f54915f43779/Green_Book_Chapter_34_v3_0.pdf (accessed February 2024).
- UK Health Security Agency. Shingles: The Green Book, chapter 28a (July 2023). Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64c1153cd4051a000d5a9409/Shingles_Green_Book_on_Immunisation_Chapter_28a_26_7_23.pdf (accessed February 2024).
- Pollfish on behalf of GSK. Global GSK shingles survey insights. https://www.pollfish.com/blog/global-gsk-shingles-survey-insights (accessed January 2024).
- GSK. Press release: New global survey finds widespread misunderstandings about shingles despite its lifetime prevalence. https://www.gsk.com/media/10719/misconceptions-survey-press-release.pdf (accessed February 2024).
- van Hoek AJ et al. Estimating the cost-effectiveness of vaccination against herpes zoster in England and Wales. Vaccine 2009;27:1454-1467.
- Laing KJ et al. Immunobiology of varicella-zoster virus infection. J Infect Dis 2018;218(Suppl 2):S68-S74.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Clinical knowledge summary: Shingles. https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/shingles/ (accessed February 2024).
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles (herpes zoster). https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/index.html (accessed February 2024).
- Van Oorschot D et al. A cross-sectional concept elicitation study to understand the impact of herpes zoster on patients' health-related quality of life. Infect Dis Ther 2022;11:501-516.
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