title: HHV-6 and seizures.
abstract: Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) is a ubiquitous virus, but one that can induce various neurological diseases. Recently, several seizures have been reported as new HHV-6-associated diseases based on virological analysis. Neonates who are perinatally infected with HHV-6 can develop afebrile seizures, which are considered to be exanthem subitum (ES) in the neonatal period. Infants with ES also tend to develop atypical febrile seizures. After primary infection, HHV-6 commonly establishes latency in the central nervous system (CNS) and sometimes reactivates in the hippocampus, causing limbic encephalitis and temporal lobe epilepsy. These HHV-6-associated CNS diseases due to virus reactivation can occur in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. This article summarizes HHV-6-associated seizures during childhood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morishima
mesh_terms: D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology*; D014775:Virus Activation