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Infection classification scheme for secondary children in the study. Primary infection among secondary children was defined as those without viral DNA detected at the beginning of the study who either showed seroconversion or were seronegative and met the PCR-based definition of primary infection 31. Children with minimal evidence of virus by PCR (<2 positive oral swabs, 0 positive plasma samples) and no positive serology were considered uninfected and excluded from shedding analysis for that virus. All remaining children were considered chronically infected.
Source publication
Human herpesviruses (HHV) establish lifelong latent infection and are transmitted primarily via shedding at mucosal surfaces. Each HHV causes a unique spectrum of disease depending on the infected individual’s age and immunity. We collected weekly oral swabs from young children and mothers in 32 Ugandan households for a median of one year. We chara...
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Aim
The aim of this study was to investigate the therapies administered to Italian adolescents with primary herpetic gingivostomatitis (PHGS)
Methods
The medical records of 74 adolescents with PHSG were reviewed. The following data were recorded: age, gender, day of onset, type of treatment, lesions’ severity, pain scoring, eating, and drinking ab...
Citations
... Saliva viral load even varied in the same cat over time by up to 3 log 10 copies/mL (Figure 3). In humans, factors associated with variability in the occurrence and level of herpesvirus salivary shedding include age, sex, immune status, and infection with other pathogens [26,46,47]. In this study, we found that cat age and sex were not associated with the occurrence or level of FcaGHV1 shedding. ...
Felis catus gammaherpesvirus 1 (FcaGHV1) infects domestic cats worldwide, yet it has not been successfully propagated in cell culture, and little is known about how it is shed and transmitted. To investigate the salivary shedding of FcaGHV1, we quantified FcaGHV1 DNA in feline saliva by qPCR. For FcaGHV1-positive saliva, we sequenced a portion of the viral glycoprotein B (gB) gene and attempted to isolate the infectious virus by passage in several felid and non-felid cell lines. We detected FcaGHV1 DNA in 45/227 (19.8%) saliva samples with variable viral DNA loads from less than 100 to greater than 3 million copies/mL (median 4884 copies/mL). Multiple saliva samples collected from an infected cat over a two-month period were consistently positive, indicating that chronic shedding can occur for at least two months. Cat age, sex, and health status were not associated with shedding prevalence or viral DNA load in saliva. Feral status was also not associated with shedding prevalence. However, feral cats had significantly higher FcaGHV1 DNA load than non-feral cats. Sequencing of FcaGHV1 gB showed low sequence diversity and >99.5% nucleotide identity to the worldwide consensus FcaGHV1 gB sequence. We did not detect virus replication during the passage of FcaGHV1-positive saliva in cell culture, as indicated by consistently negative qPCR on cell lysate and supernatant. To our knowledge, these data show for the first time that cats in Canada are infected with FcaGHV1. The data further suggest that shedding of FcaGHV1 in saliva is common, can occur chronically over an extended period of time, and may occur at higher levels in feral compared to non-feral cats.
... Rates of CMV detection from oral swabs were also higher in the current study than some prior studies of people with or without HIV, likely due to single timepoint saliva sampling [14]. Our rate of oral CMV detection (61%) is similar to another frequently-sampled Ugandan cohort (>50%) [1,30]. ...
Background:
Co-infection with HIV can result in impaired control of cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication, increasing the likelihood of disease and onward transmission. The objective of this analysis was to measure the impact of HIV on CMV replication in an intensively-sampled cohort in Kampala, Uganda.
Methods:
CMV seropositive men and women aged 18-65, with or without HIV co-infection, were followed for one month. Daily oral swabs and weekly anogenital swabs and plasma were collected. Quantitative CMV PCR was performed on all samples.
Results:
Eighty-five participants were enrolled and provided ≥1 oral swab; 43 (51%) were HIV-seropositive. People living with HIV (PLWH; median CD4 count 439 cells/mm3; none on antiretrovirals) had 2-4 times greater risk of CMV detection at each anatomical site assessed. At the oral site, 773 of 1272 (61%) of samples from PLWH had CMV detected, compared to 214 of 1349 (16%) among people without HIV. Similarly, the mean CMV quantity was higher among PLWH at all anatomical sites, with the largest difference seen for oral swabs (mean difference 1.63 log/mL; 95% CI 1.13-2.13). Among PLWH, absolute quantity of CD4+ T-cells was not associated with risk of CMV detection. HIV plasma RNA quantity was positively correlated with oral CMV shedding frequency, but not detection at other sites.
Conclusions:
Mucosal and systemic CMV replication occurs at higher levels in PLWH than people without HIV, particularly oral shedding, which is a major mode of CMV transmission. Increased CMV replication despite relatively preserved CD4+ T-cell counts suggests that additional interventions are required to improve CMV control in PLWH.
... Numerous human herpes viruses (including EBV, HSV-1, and HCMV) were detected in the saliva of HIV-infected individuals despite the availability of ART [109]. These viruses can be transmitted to neonates and infants through maternal saliva and/or breast milk [106,[113][114][115][116][117]. Oropharyngeal shedding of HSV and HCMV was also reported in HIV-infected children [118,119] White epithelial lesions on the side of the tongue, a condition known as hairy leukoplakia (HL), are well-known oral mucosal manifestations of HIV/AIDS. ...
The oropharyngeal mucosal epithelia have a polarized organization, which is critical for maintaining a highly efficient barrier as well as innate immune functions. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) disease, the barrier and innate immune functions of the oral mucosa are impaired via a number of mechanisms. The goal of this review was to discuss the molecular mechanisms of HIV/AIDS-associated changes in the oropharyngeal mucosa and their role in promoting HIV transmission and disease pathogenesis, notably the development of opportunistic infections, including human cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and Epstein-Barr virus. In addition, the significance of adult and newborn/infant oral mucosa in HIV resistance and transmission was analyzed. HIV/AIDS-associated changes in the oropharyngeal mucosal epithelium and their role in promoting human papillomavirus-positive and negative neoplastic malignancy are also discussed.
... Еще одним важным аспектом данной проблемы, на который мало обращают внимание, является недостаточность информации об особенностях динамики выделения вируса со слюной. В зарубежных исследованиях сообщается о выраженном стохастическом характере обнаружения ДНК ВЭБ как в течение суток [24], так и ежедневно [17], еженедельно [33], ежемесячно [29]. В то время как одни авторы демонстрировали 30-кратную разницу между максимальным и минимальным количеством ВЭБ за один день [24], другие установили колебания его концентрации до 5 логарифмов в течение более длительного периода наблюдения, вплоть до перемежаю щихся отрицательных результатов детекции [23]. ...
... В то время как одни авторы демонстрировали 30-кратную разницу между максимальным и минимальным количеством ВЭБ за один день [24], другие установили колебания его концентрации до 5 логарифмов в течение более длительного периода наблюдения, вплоть до перемежаю щихся отрицательных результатов детекции [23]. Мониторинг вирусной нагрузки ВГЧ-6А/В в слюне проводился преимущественно в проспективных исследованиях, посвященных изучению времени первичного инфицирования детей [22,33,34], реже при обследовании здоровых вирусоносителей [36]. Как правило, выделение ВГЧ-6А/В отличалось непрерывным характером и относительно низкой вирусной нагрузкой [33]. ...
... Мониторинг вирусной нагрузки ВГЧ-6А/В в слюне проводился преимущественно в проспективных исследованиях, посвященных изучению времени первичного инфицирования детей [22,33,34], реже при обследовании здоровых вирусоносителей [36]. Как правило, выделение ВГЧ-6А/В отличалось непрерывным характером и относительно низкой вирусной нагрузкой [33]. Механизмы, лежащие в основе регуляции выделения ВЭБ и ВГЧ-6А/В со слюной, остаются до конца не изученными [9,23,26]. ...
EpsteinBarr virus (EBV) and human herpesviruses 6A and 6B (HHV6A and HHV6B) are ubiquitous, infecting representatives of all social groups, starting from early childhood. Currently, information on the genetic heterogeneity of EBV, even at the level of the main types (EBV1 and EBV2), as well as HHV6A and HHV6B, their prevalence and clinical significance are limited mainly by foreign data. In Russia, there are not so many publications devoted to this issue. In this case, the objects of study are mainly plasma and leukocytes of peripheral blood, scrapings or swabs from the oropharynx are used much less often. Saliva is the main factor in the transmission and spread of EBV and HHV6A/B infections. Saliva testing is an affordable, inexpensive, and non-invasive method for detecting viral DNA. The purpose of this work is to improve the methodological base for differential detection of HHV6A/HHV6B and the main types of EBV in saliva. The material for the study was unstimulated mixed saliva of children aged 117 years with acute infectious mononucleosis (n = 22) and no clinical symptoms of this disease (n = 26), as well as conditionally healthy adults (n = 9). Samples were collected once and dynamically (daily for 14 days). The detection and quantification of EBV DNA and HHV6A/B DNA was performed using real-time PCR. For the differential determination of EBV1/EBV2 and HHV6A/HHV6B, an optimized one-round PCR variant with electrophoretic detection of amplification products in an agarose gel was used. Statistical data processing was carried out using the R programming language and the RStudio environment. According to the results of our own research, the frequency of detection of EBV, HHV6A/B and EBV+HHV6A/B DNA in acute infectious mononucleosis was 95, 91 and 86%, and among conventionally healthy children 69, 85 and 61.5%, respectively. It was found that among the examined children of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, EBV1 and HHV6B prevail in the viral population, which is consistent with existing ideas about their geographical distribution in the adjacent territories. EBV2 and HHV6A were not detected in any of the examined saliva samples. According to the results of 14-day dynamic monitoring of saliva virus secretion in healthy virus carriers (adults and children), it was shown that a single EBV DNA study does not allow to reliably assess the infection of individuals or the intensity of EBV secretion. In this case, HHV6A/B is characterized by a more constant and uniform release. The methodological approach optimized in this work makes it possible to separately detect EBV1/EBV2 and HHV6A/HHV6B according to a single laboratory protocol, and in combination with an additional stage of saliva sample preparation increases the diagnostic sensitivity of PCR analysis, minimizes the proportion of discordant and false negative results. Such an integrated approach can be applied for diagnostic, epidemiological and research purposes.
... In a study in Cameroon, EBV shedding was more frequent and EBV viral loads were higher in HIV+ compared to HIV-individuals but no data on treatment status was available (13). In contrast, in patients on ART in Uganda, Matrajt et al. (14) reported higher rates of EBV shedding in HIV+ compared to HIV-mothers but no significant difference was observed in EBV viral load in saliva. ...
... However, in many of those earlier studies, study participants were not on ARTs. A more recent study in Uganda did find higher prevalence of EBV shedding in HIV+ (on ARTs) vs HIV-mothers (14). Furthermore, we found that the viral load in both venous blood and 6-weeks post-partum saliva samples, of the mothers that were shedding, was higher in the HIV+ mothers compared to the HIV-mothers. ...
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is known to be associated with EBV shedding in saliva suggesting an increased risk of EBV transmission to infants born to mothers with HIV at an earlier age. In this study we investigated (i) whether maternal HIV status was a risk factor for EBV in blood at delivery or for shedding in saliva and breast milk of 6- and 10-weeks post-partum mothers, (ii) if there was a difference in EBV strains shed between HIV+ and HIV- mothers, and (iii) if maternal HIV status was a determinant of EBV viral load in their infants. Samples were collected as part of a prospective cohort study that followed HIV-positive (HIV+) and HIV-negative (HIV-) pregnant women in Western Kenya through delivery and post-partum period. EBV viral load in blood was found to be significantly higher in mothers with HIV (p-value = 0.04). Additionally, a statistically significant difference was observed between EBV viral load in saliva samples and HIV status where HIV+ mothers had a higher EBV viral load in saliva at 6-weeks post-partum compared to HIV- mothers (p-value < 0.01). The difference in EBV shedding in breast milk was not found to be statistically significant. Furthermore, no difference in frequency of EBV strain was attributable to HIV- or HIV+ mothers. Interestingly, we found that infants born to HIV+ mothers had a higher EBV viral load at the time of their first EBV detection in blood than infants born to HIV- mothers and this was independent of age at detection. Overall, our study suggests that HIV infected mothers shed more virus in saliva than HIV-negative mothers and infants born to HIV+ mothers were at risk for loss of control of primary EBV infection as evidenced by higher EBV viral load following primary infection.
... Saliva is a key transmission route for HHVs as the salivary gland is a particularly permissive site for HHV replication. We detected HSV-1, EBV, HHV-6, and HHV-7 DNA in saliva samples, either singly or in combinations of up to 4 HHVs, consistent with previous studies (37)(38)(39)(40); HHV-7 has been reported to be almost universally detected in saliva (41). The prevalence of HSV-1, EBV, and HHV-7 in our healthy controls was broadly similar to a previous report Miller et al. (40) but the prevalence of HHV-6B (25%) was markedly lower than the 93.5% prevalence of HHV-6 reported previously; this difference may reflect the detection target (HHV-6B rather than the whole HHV-6 genome), methodology or genuine population differences. ...
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex chronic condition affecting multiple body systems, with unknown cause, unclear pathogenesis mechanisms, and fluctuating symptoms which may lead to severe debilitation. It is frequently reported to have been triggered by an infection, but there are no clear differences in exposure to, or seroprevalence of, any particular viruses between people with ME/CFS and healthy individuals. However, herpes viruses have been repeatedly hypothesized to underlie the chronic relapsing/remitting form of MS/CFS due to their persistence in a latent form with periodic reactivation. It is possible that ME/CFS is associated with herpes virus reactivation, which has not been detectable previously due to insufficiently sensitive testing methods. Saliva samples were collected from 30 people living with ME/CFS at monthly intervals for 6 months and at times when they experienced symptom exacerbation, as well as from 14 healthy control individuals. The viral DNA load of the nine humanherpes viruses was determined by digital droplet PCR. Symptoms were assessed by questionnaire at each time point. Human herpesvirus (HHV) 6B, HHV-7, herpes simplex virus 1 and Epstein-Barr virus were detectable within the saliva samples, with higher HHV-6B and HHV-7 viral loads detected in people with ME/CFS than in healthy controls. Participants with ME/CFS could be broadly separated into two groups: one group displayed fluctuating patterns of herpesviruses detectable across the 6 months while the second group displayed more stable viral presentation. In the first group, there was positive correlation between HHV-6B and HHV-7 viral load and severity of symptom scores, including pain, neurocognition, and autonomic dysfunction. The results indicate that fluctuating viral DNA load correlates with ME/CFS symptoms: this is in accordance with the hypothesis that pathogenesis is related to herpesvirus reactivation state, and this should be formally tested. Herpesvirus reactivation might be a cause or consequence of dysregulated immune function seen in ME/CFS. The sampling strategy and molecular tools developed here permit such large-scale epidemiological investigations.
... For example, the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, an AIDS-defining cancer, in the U.S. is 10-fold higher among HIV-1 coinfected individuals than in the general population [2]. Individuals with EBV/HIV-1 coinfection tend to have higher EBV viral loads in saliva and blood [3][4][5]. Uncovering the mechanisms by which HIV-1 may impair the control of EBV infection could provide clues relevant to the prevention of EBV-related disease as well as insights into basic EBV pathobiology. ...
... EBV drives these naïve B cells to mature into resting memory B cells and circulate throughout the body through the expression of only a small number of latent gene products [11,12]. Viral shedding is highest during primary EBV infection but remains frequent throughout chronic infection [5]. During chronic infection, B cells latently infected with EBV can return to Waldeyer's ring, encounter cognate antigen, and become activated to mature into plasma cells, triggering lytic reactivation and production of infectious virions [13][14][15]. ...
... Although others have done such studies in developed countries, none exist with such a high degree of time resolution in Uganda, a country where EBV is often acquired much earlier in life than in developed countries [6][7][8]. Furthermore, while several previous studies have examined EBV mucosal shedding patterns in both HIV-1 uninfected and HIV-1 coinfected participants [5,[18][19][20][21][22], the majority have been in the setting of advanced HIV-1 infection or in participants receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) [20][21][22]. Our data represent EBV shedding in HIV-1 coinfected individuals who are not receiving antiretroviral therapy and whose HIV-1 infection has not progressed to AIDS. ...
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is transmitted by saliva and is a major cause of cancer, particularly in people living with HIV/AIDS. Here, we describe the frequency and quantity of EBV detection in the saliva of Ugandan adults with and without HIV-1 infection and use these data to develop a novel mathematical model of EBV infection in the tonsils. Eligible cohort participants were not taking antiviral medications, and those with HIV-1 infection had a CD4 count >200 cells/mm ³ . Over a 4-week period, participants provided daily oral swabs that we analysed for the presence and quantity of EBV. Compared with HIV-1 uninfected participants, HIV-1 coinfected participants had an increased risk of EBV detection in their saliva (IRR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.10–1.47) and higher viral loads in positive samples. We used these data to develop a stochastic, mechanistic mathematical model that describes the dynamics of EBV, infected cells, and immune response within the tonsillar epithelium to analyse potential factors that may cause EBV infection to be more severe in HIV-1 coinfected participants. The model, fit using Approximate Bayesian Computation, showed high fidelity to daily oral shedding data and matched key summary statistics. When evaluating how model parameters differed among participants with and without HIV-1 coinfection, results suggest HIV-1 coinfected individuals have higher rates of B cell reactivation, which can seed new infection in the tonsils and lower rates of an EBV-specific immune response. Subsequently, both these traits may explain higher and more frequent EBV detection in the saliva of HIV-1 coinfected individuals.
... Ó ïàòî´åíåç³ òîíçèë³òó âàaeëèâó ðîëü â³ä³ãðàþòü äâà òèïè ³ìóíîãëîáóë³í³â -ñåêðåòîðíèé ³ìóíîãëîáóë³í À (sIgA), ÿêèé ïåðåøêîäaeຠáàêòåð³ÿì îñ³ñòè íà ïîâåðõí³ åï³òåë³þ, òà IgG, ÿêèé ïðè êîí-òàêò³ ç áàêòåð³ÿìè ³íäóêóº áàêòåð³îë³çèñ òà ïîñèëþº ôàãîöèòîç. Ïîâåðõíÿ ï³äíåá³ííèõ ìèãäàëèê³â âêðèòà áàãàòîøàðîâèì ïëîñêèì íåçðîãîâ³ëèì åï³òå볺ì, ó ÿêîìó â³äñóòí³ â³é-÷àñò³ êë³òèíè, ùî óíåìîaeëèâëþº âèêîðèñòàííÿ ìåõàí³çìó ìóêî-öèë³àðíîãî êë³ðåíñó, ÿêîìó íàëåaeèòü âàaeëèâà ðîëü ó ñàíî´åíåç³ ïî-â³òðîíîñíèõ øëÿõ³â [4,5] Òðàäèö³éíî ñòðåïòîêîêè â³äíîñèëè äî ïîçàêë³òèííèõ çáóäíèê³â, îäíàê ïðîòÿãîì îñ-òàíí³õ äåñÿòèë³òü íèçêîþ åêñïåðèìåíòàëüíèõ äîñë³äaeåíü âñòàíîâëåíî, ùî äåÿê³ ñòðåïòîêîêè, çîêðåìà Str. Pyogenes, ìîaeå ëîêàë³çóâàòèñÿ ³ âíóòð³øíüîêë³òèííî (öèì ìîaeíà ïîÿñíèòè íàÿâí³ñòü ñòðåïòîêîê³â ó ðîòîâ³é ïî-ðîaeíèí³ ï³ñëÿ òåðàﳿ àíòèá³îòèêàìè). ...
Aim. To evaluate the features of pharynx tonsils mucous membrane colonization by pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms using electron microscopic examination of pharynx palatine tonsils epithelium in patients with infectious mononucleosis and acute streptococcal tonsillitis.
Materials and Methods. Two patients, i.e. a patient P. (12 years old) with a confirmed diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis, and patient A. (8 years old) with acute streptococcal tonsillitis diagnosis were examined. A bacteriological examination of mucus and epithelium scraping from the surface of the pharyngeal tonsils was conducted. Tissue samples were examined in the electron microscopy laboratory of the Lviv National University.
Results and Discussion. 36 tonsils epithelial tissue micro preparations of patient A. and 41 micro preparations of patient P. were studied. Streptococcus pyogenes, Str. pneumoniae, Str. viridans, Сandida albicans, as well as non-pathogenic bacteria, Diphtheroides sp., Neisseria sp., and Corynebacterium spp. were identified as result of the bacteriological examination of mucus from the surface of the pharyngeal tonsils of the patient P.. Staph. aureus, Str. Viridans, and Str. pneumoniae were identified during a bacteriological examination of the patient A. Eosinophils with a two-segmented nucleus, specific granularity, phagocytosed spherical bacteria in the cytoplasm were detected during the histological examination of the materials taken from the surface of the patient with acute tonsillitis tonsils. Research shows that bacteria accumulate not only in the structure of extracellular detritus. Numerous bacteria accumulations were found in the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells in the patient with infectious mononucleosis also. The cell's shape resembles a bunch of grapes.
Conclusions. The electron microscopic examination showed differences in the coccal flora localization. The extracellular localization of bacteria in the patient with acute bacterial tonsillitis, and intraepithelial presence of the bacteria in the patient with tonsillitis during infectious mononucleosis were found.
... Likewise, systemic detection of EBV-DNA load was associated with HIV-VL and, similar to the oral cavity, there was persistent combined detection of EBV and KSHV regardless of HIV virological control but not for CMV (Basso et al., 2018). A Ugandan study demonstrated that regardless of HIV status among the herpesviruses, higher oral EBV-VL was detected in both mothers and children than HSV, CMV, and HHV6, respectively: In this study, HIV was a risk factor for enhanced oral EBV shedding and higher EBV load in mothers, with VL comparable to that seen in child primary infection, suggesting an HIV-related immune deficit in the ability to control EBV infection (Matrajt et al., 2017). ...
As a result of the extension of life span produced by increasing access to combined antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) face new challenges from comorbidities. Although advances in medical care for HIV infection have dramatically reduced opportunistic infections and AIDS‐defining cancers, some non‐AIDS‐defining cancers (NADC) and specific oral diseases such as periodontitis and salivary gland disease are now more prevalent. Cancer prevention is, therefore, a priority issue in care of PLWH, stressing both restoration of immune function and reduction of non‐HIV cancer risk factors (tobacco in all its forms; areca nut; heavy alcohol consumption; diets lacking antioxidant vitamins and minerals; and oncogenic virus infections) through specific interventions, especially tobacco and areca nut cessation and alcohol moderation. Detection of oral high‐risk human papillomaviruses (HR‐HPV) and the universal preventive HPV vaccination among PLWH should be promoted to reduce the malignancy burden, along with routine oral examinations which remain the cheapest, most reliable, most reproducible, and non‐invasive tool to identify suspicious lesions. Also, considerations of oral inflammation and periodontal health are important to replication and gene expression of viruses in the mouth. Considering that a key risk factor for this scenario is the presence of oncogenic virus infection such as several members of the human herpesvirus and human papillomavirus families, here we analyze the variables involved in the seeming increase in comorbidities in PLWH.
... 29 The prevalence of epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa is double that in developed countries 30 and as CNS infections are a major risk factor for FSE and epilepsy 30,31 there is a need for studies to evaluate possible etiologies in the sub-Saharan African region, which also takes into account the HIV infection and exposure status in children, which may influence clinical outcomes of HHV-6 infection. 32,33 A Zambian study in 1997 identified HHV-6 in 30% (16/53) of nonmalarial febrile children (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on deoxyribonucleic acid DNA-extracted whole blood) and interestingly, of the nine cases that were genotyped by single locus Sanger sequencing, four were found to be HHV-6A. 19 A recent study of people living with HIV in Burkina Faso identified HHV-6A in 88% (15/17) of cases of HHV-6 infection, although two-thirds of HHV-6A cases were coinfected with HHV-6B. ...
Background
Human herpesvirus 6B (HHV‐6B) is the causative agent of Roseola infantum, and has also been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of febrile seizures in young children, a percentage of whom go on to develop febrile status epilepticus (FSE), but existing data is conflicting and inconclusive. HHV‐6A is a distinct species, rarely detected in most parts of the world, but prior studies suggest a higher prevalence in febrile African children. We describe a case control study comparing the frequency of HHV‐6A and/or HHV‐6B infections in children with febrile seizures (including febrile status epilepticus) and a control group of febrile children without seizures.
Methods
We recruited children aged 6‐60 months admitted with a febrile illness with (cases) or without (controls) seizures presenting within 48 hours of commencement of fever. 3mls of whole blood was centrifuged and plasma stored at ‐80oC for pooled screening for HHV‐6B and HHV‐6A by Taqman Real Time PCR.
Results
102 cases and 95 controls were recruited. The prevalence of HHV‐6B DNA detection did not differ significantly between cases (5.8% (6/102)) and controls (10.5% (10/95)) but HHV‐6B infection was associated with febrile status epilepticus (OR 15; 95% CI, [1.99‐120]; p=0.009). HHV‐6A was not detected.
Conclusion
Prevalence of HHV‐6B was similar among cases and controls. Within the febrile seizure group, HHV‐6B infection was associated with FSE, suggesting HHV‐6B infections could play a role in pathogenesis of FSE.
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