Sandbox:Dami2

Natural History

HHV-6 infection is usually acquired early in life, between 6 months and 2 years of age, following the loss of protective maternal antibodies. Primary infection can also happen in adults. HHV 6 infection has 3 phases: first is represented by acute primary infection in infants. The second occurs in healthy children and adults; the virus replicates in the salivary glands and is secreted in saliva (for HHV-6B) without inducing any obvious pathology, remains latent at least in lymphocytes and monocytes, and persists in various tissues, possibly with a low-level replication. The third stage occurs infrequently, typically in immunocompromised persons, and is linked to reactivation of virus from latency or reinfection.

Complications

central nervous system (CNS) with seizures, hyperpyrexia, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, emophagocytic syndrome, fulminant hepatitis, disseminated infection, and hepatosplenomegaly.