Characteristics and acquisition of human herpesvirus (HHV) 7 infections in relation to infection with HHV-6.
Although both human herpesvirus (HHV) 6 and HHV-7 infections are ubiquitous during childhood, few acute HHV-7 infections are identified. It is unknown whether HHV-7 viremia indicates primary infection, as with HHV-6, or reactivation, and if these differ clinically. We studied, in otherwise healthy children < or =10 years old, HHV-7 and HHV-6 infections and their interaction by serologic assessment, viral isolation, and polymerase chain reaction. In children < or =24 months of age, HHV-7 infections occurred less often than HHV-6 infections (P< or =.002). Of 2806 samples from 2365 children < or =10 years old, 30 (1%) showed evidence of HHV-7 viremia; 23 (77%) of these were primary and 7 (23%) were reactivated HHV-7 infections. Four (13%) showed concurrent HHV-6 viremia, 2 associated with primary HHV-7 infections. The clinical manifestations of primary and reactivated HHV-7 infections were similar, except that seizures occurred more frequently in reactivated infections. These findings, previously unrecognized in otherwise healthy children, suggest that HHV-7 viremia could represent primary or reactivated infection and may be affected by the interaction between HHV-6 and HHV-7.
Department of Pediatrics, and Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, USA. Caroline_Hall@urmc.rochester.edu
Caroline Breese
CB
Hall
Mary T
MT
Caserta
Kenneth C
KC
Schnabel
Michael P
MP
McDermott
Geraldine K
GK
Lofthus
Jennifer A
JA
Carnahan
Lynne M
LM
Gilbert
Stephen
S
Dewhurst
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral