Government releases new statistics on shingles

Washington - More than 1 million Americans contract shingles every year, and nearly 1 million are seeking treatment for the condition, according to recently released government statistics, Reuters reports.

Basing its study on several national surveys, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports that 1.1 million become infected with shingles every year, while about 900,000 seek treatment for it.

The agency reports that the average cost for treating shingles is $525 per person, or $566 million annually.