Shockingly the number of Australian cases of shingles has doubled over the last decade, with hospital emergency departments reporting 2-5% increase in cases per year. The herpes zoster virus, which causes shingles, is becoming more common as the population ages and experts are urging Australian adults to have the herpes zoster vaccine.
Writing in the October edition of Australian Prescriber, Professor Dominic Dwyer and Dr Michael Wehrhahn, infectious diseases specialists at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital, said the recent rise in shingles cases is probably due to a number of factors.
“Shingles commonly presents as a painful blistering skin rash on the abdomen,” the experts said.
“It is more common in people over the age of 60, so as our population ages we are likely to see more of it.”
Evidence also shows that recurrent attacks of the virus are more common than previously believed.
It is thought that because there is now less chickenpox in children, older people are not boosting their immunity to the virus and so may be more susceptible to shingles later in life.
The herpes zoster vaccine, available in Australia and recommended for people over the age of 60 since 2009, has been shown to reduce the prevalence of the virus as well as its associated complications.
The vaccine can also be considered for younger adults, depending on their health history.
If you suspect yourself or someone you know has shingles the best advice to take is to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
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