Human herpesvirus 6: report of emerging pathogen in five patients with HIV/AIDS and review of the literature

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Marcelo Corti, Maria Florencia Villafañe, Norberto Trione, Lilia Mamanna, Belén Bouzas
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2011
• Subjects: AIDS; HIV; Meningoencefalite; Meningite; HHV-6; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0037-86822011000400026; https://doaj.org/article/d0e3a4156b6a4ca4a2bd9e1b1f19f8eb

The reactivation of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in patients with AIDS can result in an acute and severe diffuse meningoencephalitis. We describe the epidemiological, clinical and outcome findings of five patients with diagnosis of HIV/AIDS and central nervous system involvement (CNS) due to HHV-6. Fever was present in all the patients. Meningeal compromise, seizures and encephalitis were present in some of the patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens was positive for HHV-6 in all the patients. HHV-6 should be included among opportunistic and emerging pathogens that involve the CNS in patients with AIDS.