Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) was isolated from patients with exanthem subitum (ES) with a high frequency, and it is now believed that this virus causes ES as a primary infection in childhood. HHV‐6 infection is highly prevalent in early childhood and this virus may infect infants through the saliva mainly from mother to child. HHV‐6 has a tropism to CD4+ cells and destroys cells in vitro. Although children recover from ES without any sequelae, neurological symptoms associated with exanthem subitum are often observed, and we could detect HHV‐6 in the cerebrospinal fluid of ES patients. This result suggests that HHV‐6 may invade the central nervous system and cause neurological symptoms.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.