Abstract: Abstract: Herpes zoster is a kind of acute viral infection caused by varicella zoster virus. The postherpetic neuralgia is the main complication of herpes zoster. Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia cause huge disease burden and economic burden in the world. In this paper, we reviewed the epidemiological characters and economic burden of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia based on the latest studies, and provided a new research direction for prevention and treatment for our country.

Key words:  herpes zoster, epidemiologic studies, risk factors, cost of illness, postherpetic neuralgia, economic burden