Clinical features of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection

Primary HHV-6 infection may be symptomatic in more than 90% of the cases, with fever, fussiness and rhinorrhea as common symptoms. Skin manifestations may occur in about 50% of the cases, with typical roseola in 26%.

A prospective cohort of 277 children (80 percent white) in Seattle was studied from birth through the first 2 years of life by weekly saliva testing for HHV-6 DNA . Parents maintained a daily log of symptoms of illness. The cumulative incidence of HHV-6 infection was 40 percent by the age of 12 months and 77 percent by the age of 24 months. 93 percent had symptoms, and 38 percent were seen by a physician. As compared with children who had other illnesses, those with primary HHV-6 infection were more likely to have fever (57%), fussiness (69%), diarrhea (26%), rash (31%), and roseola (23%). Rhinorrhea was common (65%). Fever lasted a median of 3 days. None of the children had seizures.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by imprecise results (few patients) and by limitations in study quality (cohort study).

Ədəbiyyat

1. Zerr DM, Meier AS, Selke SS, Frenkel LM, Huang ML, Wald A, Rhoads MP, Nguy L, Bornemann R, Morrow RA, Corey L. A population-based study of primary human herpesvirus 6 infection. N Engl J Med 2005 Feb 24;352(8):768-76.