Fatal encephalitis/encephalopathy in primary human herpesvirus-6 infection.

• DOI: 10.1136/adc.67.12.1484
• Publication Date: 2008-12-22T22:39:16Z
• Authors: Y Asano; T Yoshikawa; Y Kajita; R Ogura; S Suga; T Yazaki; T Nakashima; A Yamada; T Kurata
• Keywords: Herpesvirus 6, Human; Brain; Infant; Herpesviridae Infections; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; DNA, Viral; Exanthema Subitum; Encephalitis; Humans; Female; Antigens, Viral

An encephalitic illness with a fatal outcome occurred in a 9 month old girl with virologically confirmed exanthem subitum. Human herpes-virus-6 (HHV-6) DNA was found in the cerebrospinal fluid at the acute stage of the disease by the polymerase chain reaction, but the virus antigen was not detected in her brain tissue. This suggests that HHV-6-induced encephalitis/encephalopathy may be due to a non-infectious process.