TY - JOUR AU - Campadelli-Fiume, Gabriella AU - Mirandola, Prisco AU - Menotti, Laura T1 - Human Herpesvirus 6: An Emerging Pathogen T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 1999 VL - 5 IS - 3 SP - 353 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Infections with human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), a ß-herpesvirus of which two variant groups (A and B) are recognized, is very common, approaching 100% in seroprevalence. Primary infection with HHV-6B causes roseola infantum or exanthem subitum, a common childhood disease that resolves spontaneously. After primary infection, the virus replicates in the salivary glands and is shed in saliva, the recognized route of transmission for variant B strains; it remains latent in lymphocytes and monocytes and persists at low levels in cells and tissues. Not usually associated with disease in the immunocompetent, HHV-6 infection is a major cause of opportunistic viral infections in the immunosuppressed, typically AIDS patients and transplant recipients, in whom HHV-6 infection/reactivation may culminate in rejection of transplanted organs and death. Other opportunistic viruses, human cytomegalovirus and HHV-7, also infect or reactivate in persons at risk. Another disease whose pathogenesis may be correlated with HHV-6 is multiple sclerosis. Data in favor of and against the correlation are discussed. KW - Italy DO - 10.3201/eid0503.990306 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/5/3/99-0306_article ER - End of Reference