Trend in Herpes Zoster Hospitalizations during years 2015-22 in a Southern Italian Region

Herpes Zoster (HZ) is a disease caused by the reactivation of the Varicella Zoster. Clinical reactivation takes place in 10-20% of subjects who contracted the primary infection, with a higher risk of developing zoster increasing with age. HZ is a common clinical problem, particularly among elderly and immunocompromised patients. Immunocompromised subjects and adults could have atypical and more severe course and are at greater risk for complications. For this reason, it is important to understand the real burden of the disease and to direct preventive strategies to the right targets. The aim of the present study is to analyze HZ-related hospitalization trend in Abruzzo, in the period 2015-2022. Data related to hospital admissions were extracted from the hospital discharge record of the Abruzzo region, considering all admissions performed during the years 2015–2022. The trend in hospital admissions was evaluated with joint-point regression analysis. A total of 878 hospital discharges with a diagnosis of herpes zoster were registered in Abruzzo, during the 8-years study period. During study period, an increasing trend was observed from year 2015 to year 2017, ranging from 8.19 cases/100,000 to 11.5 cases/100,000 (APC +12.5%; 95%CI -14.7; 49.9). After the year 2017, a decreasing trend was observed (APC -10.5%; 95%CI -33.7; 10.8). An increasing rate was observed in post-pandemic year 2022, reaching 8.62 cases/100,000. Across the entire study period, an average annual percentage change (AAPC) of -4.5% (95%CI -12.5; 2.5) was observed. Although the reduction in hospitalization trend, this study highlights that the HZ still continues to have a great impact on public health. It is important to update recommendations for the use of the already available HZ vaccine and to implement new strategies to increase awareness of the prevention of the disease.