Association of human herpesvirus 6 infection of the central nervous system with recurrence of febrile convulsions.

To determine the relationship of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection to febrile convulsions, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with a history of febrile convulsion were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification for HHV-6 DNA. HHV-6 DNA was detected in 9 of 10 samples from patients with exanthem subitum who showed neurologic symptoms. Also, 8 of 10 CSF samples from 8 patients who had three or more febrile convulsions and 1 of 7 CSF samples from patients who had a single febrile convulsion contained HHV-6 DNA. These data suggest that HHV-6 may invade the brain during the acute phase of exanthem subitum and that recurrence of febrile convulsions may be associated with reactivation of HHV-6.