Elsevier

The Journal of Pediatrics

Volume 133, Issue 3, September 1998, Pages 386-389
The Journal of Pediatrics

Primary human herpesvirus 7 infection: A comparison of human herpesvirus 7 and human herpesvirus 6 infections in children,☆☆,,★★

Presented in part at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ Meeting, May 7, 1996, Washington, DC.
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Abstract

Objective: To define the clinical and virologic characteristics of primary human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) infection and to compare these characteristics with those of primary human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection.

Study design: A prospective convenience sample study of 496 children ≤3 years old. HHV-7 and HHV-6 infections were identified by viral isolation. Polymerase chain reaction and serology for HHV-7 and HHV-6 were performed. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients were obtained from medical records and follow-up interviews.

Results: Children with primary HHV-7 infection (n = 8) were identified and compared with children with primary HHV-6 infection (n = 29) detected during the same time period. All children were febrile (mean temperature 39.8° C) with no difference in the degree of fever, frequency of rash, or gastrointestinal complications between the groups. The median age of children with primary HHV-7 infection was 26 months, significantly older than that of children with primary HHV-6 infection (median, 9 months). Children with primary HHV-7 infection were also more likely than those with primary HHV-6 infection to have seizures associated with the illness (P = .004).

Conclusion: Primary infection with HHV-7 can cause a highly febrile illness in childhood, complicated by seizures. The serologic diagnosis of primary HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections may be confounded by cross-reacting antibodies. (J Pediatr 1998;133:386-9)

Abbreviations

HHV-6
Human herpesvirus 6
HHV-7
Human herpesvirus 7
IFA
Indirect fluorescent antibody
PCR
Polymerase chain reaction
PBMC
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell

Cited by (0)

From the Department of Pediatrics and Medicine, Children’s Hospital at Strong, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York.

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Supported by a grant (Ro1 A 133020-02) from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Reprints not available from author.

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