Infections due to the herpesvirus group in immunocompromised patients.

Herpesvirus infections remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in iatrogenically immunosuppressed individuals despite the considerable progress achieved in recent years by the use of anti-viral drugs. Human cytomegalovirus is particularly important in this context and major advances have been made towards understanding the basis of cytomegalovirus latency and persistence. At the same time efforts continue to develop optimal virus detection in immunosuppressed individuals with a view to improving current therapeutic policies, and to define the emerging problem of anti-viral drug resistance. Finally, the evidence is gathering that the newest additions to the human herpesvirus family, i.e. human herpesviruses-6, -7 and -8, are significant pathogens in the immunosuppressed.