Human herpesvirus 6 in the newborn intensive care unit

Excerpt

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a ubiquitous DNA virus that causes roseola and may cause life-threatening illness in immune compromised hosts. Peak acquisition of the virus occurs between 6 and 9 months of age, but earlier acquisition has been reported [1]. Congenital infection has been postulated, but the clinical significance is unclear [2‐5]. Chromosomal integration and subsequent detection of HHV-6 DNA has recently been demonstrated, contributing to the confounding effect of detecting the virus in neonates and defining congenitally acquired infection [6]. We hypothesize that congenital HHV-6 may occur and cause “sepsis-like” episodes in infants cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). …