Epidemiology of herpes zoster in the State of Qatar, 2012-2017

Ayman Al-Dahshan; Mohamad Chehab; Nandakumar Ganesan; Devendra Bansal; Elmoubasher Farag; Hamad Al-Romaihi

doi:10.5339/qmj.2020.1

Epidemiology of herpes zoster in the State of Qatar, 2012-2017

Qatar Med J. 2020 Mar 2;2020(1):1. doi: 10.5339/qmj.2020.1. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Ayman Al-Dahshan¹, Mohamad Chehab¹, Nandakumar Ganesan², Devendra Bansal², Elmoubasher Farag², Hamad Al-Romaihi²

Affiliations

¹ Community Medicine Residency Program, Department of Medical Education, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
² Communicable Disease Control Section, Public Health Department, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the epidemiological features of herpes zoster (HZ) in Qatar. Methods: This study was a retrospective review of all reported HZ cases received by the surveillance unit at the Ministry of Public Health, between January 2012 and December 2017. Results: A total of 2815 cases were reported during the study period. The mean incidence of HZ was estimated to be 19/100,000 population, which increased from 9.8/100,000 in 2012 to 36.2/100,000 in 2017. The ratio of male/female was about 4:1. HZ incidence overall was found to be highest in those aged ≥ 50 years. According to nationality, the mean incidence of HZ was estimated to be 79/100,000 among Qataris and 101/100,000 among expatriates. Additionally, more HZ cases were notified during the hot months. Conclusion: Such epidemiological data will contribute to the baseline information, which is necessary for effective preventive and control measures to be implemented in the country.

Keywords: Qatar; herpes zoster; incidence.