Statistics about Shingles

Prevalence and incidence statistics for Shingles:

See also prevalence and incidence page for Shingles

Incidence (annual) of Shingles: 500,000 cases (NIAID)

Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 544 or 0.18% or 500,000 people in USA [about data]

Incidence extrapolations for USA for Shingles: 499,999 per year, 41,666 per month, 9,615 per week, 1,369 per day, 57 per hour, 0 per minute, 0 per second. Note: this extrapolation calculation uses the incidence statistic: 500,000 cases (NIAID)

Lifetime risk for Shingles: 2 in 10 lifetime (NIAID)

Prevalance of Shingles: This year, more than 500,000 people will develop shingles. (Source: excerpt from Facts About Shingles (Varicella-Zoster Virus): NIAID)

Shingles Prevalence: Book Excerpts

• Causes and incidence - Herpes zoster
• Chickenpox - epidemiology - Chickenpox (Varicella, Herpes Zoster)

Society statistics for Shingles

Hospitalization statistics for Shingles:

The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Shingles:

• 0.027% (3,457) of hospital consultant episodes were for zoster (herpes zoster) in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 79% of hospital consultant episodes for zoster (herpes zoster) required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 41% of hospital consultant episodes for zoster (herpes zoster) were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 59% of hospital consultant episodes for zoster (herpes zoster) were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 76% of hospital consultant episodes for zoster (herpes zoster) required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 11.8 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for zoster (herpes zoster) in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 6 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for zoster (herpes zoster) in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 65 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for zoster (herpes zoster) in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 18% of hospital consultant episodes for zoster (herpes zoster) occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 48% of hospital consultant episodes for zoster (herpes zoster) occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 12% of hospital consultant episodes for zoster (herpes zoster) were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0.05% (26,186) of hospital bed days were for zoster (herpes zoster) in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0.00001% (1) of hospital consultant episodes were for postzoster neuralgia in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 100% of hospital consultant episodes for postzoster neuralgia required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 100% of hospital consultant episodes for postzoster neuralgia were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0% of hospital consultant episodes for postzoster neuralgia were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0% of hospital consultant episodes for postzoster neuralgia required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for postzoster neuralgia in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for postzoster neuralgia in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 82 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for postzoster neuralgia in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 50% of hospital consultant episodes for postzoster neuralgia occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 50% of hospital consultant episodes for postzoster neuralgia occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 100% of hospital consultant episodes for postzoster neuralgia were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0% (0) of hospital bed days were for postzoster neuralgia in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)

About statistics:

This page presents a variety of statistics about Shingles. The term 'prevalence' of Shingles usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Shingles at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Shingles refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Shingles diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.

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