title: Classification of HHV-6A and HHV-6B as distinct viruses.
abstract: Shortly after the discovery of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), two distinct variants, HHV-6A and HHV-6B, were identified. In 2012, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) classified HHV-6A and HHV-6B as separate viruses. This review outlines several of the documented epidemiological, biological, and immunological distinctions between HHV-6A and HHV-6B, which support the ICTV classification. The utilization of virus-specific clinical and laboratory assays for distinguishing HHV-6A and HHV-6B is now required for further classification. For clarity in biological and clinical distinctions between HHV-6A and HHV-6B, scientists and physicians are herein urged, where possible, to differentiate carefully between HHV-6A and HHV-6B in all future publications.
authors.affiliation: HHV-6 Foundation, Santa Barbara, USA, Dharam_Ablashi@HHV-6Foundation.org.
authors.forename: Dharam
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ablashi
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agut
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Lafuente
authors.forename: Duncan A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dewhurst
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DiLuca
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Flamand
authors.forename: Niza
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Frenkel
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Ursula A
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Gompels
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Höllsberg
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luppi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lusso
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malnati
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Medveczky
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Philip E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Pellett
authors.forename: Joshua C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pritchett
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanishi
authors.forename: Tetsushi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
mesh_terms: D014644:Genetic Variation; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*