The health and economic burden of chickenpox and herpes zoster in Belgium.
Varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox (CP) and after reactivation herpes zoster (HZ). Vaccines are available against both diseases warranting an assessment of the pre-vaccination burden of disease. We collected data from relevant Belgian databases and performed five surveys of CP and HZ patients. The rates at which a general practitioner is visited at least once for CP and HZ are 346 and 378/100 000 person-years, respectively. The average CP and HZ hospitalization rates are 5·3 and 14·2/100 000 person-years respectively. The direct medical cost for HZ is about twice as large as the direct medical cost for CP. The quality-adjusted life years lost for ambulatory CP patients consulting a physician is more than double that of those not consulting a physician (0·010 vs. 0·004). In conclusion, both diseases cause a substantial burden in Belgium.
Center for Health Economic Research and Modeling Infectious Diseases, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute (Vaxinfectio), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1,Wilrijk, Belgium. joke.bilcke@ua.ac.be
J
J
Bilcke
B
B
Ogunjimi
C
C
Marais
F
F
de Smet
M
M
Callens
K
K
Callaert
E
E
van Kerschaver
J
J
Ramet
P
P
van Damme
P
P
Beutels
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006306:Health Surveys; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult