Detection of human herpesvirus 6 DNA in throat swabs by polymerase chain reaction.

The detection of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA was carried out in throat swabs of adults and children by the polymerase chain reaction, and isolation of virus was also attempted from peripheral mononuclear cells. Although virus was isolated only from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of infants with exanthem subitum, HHV-6 DNA was detected in one of 30 healthy adults (3%), two of nine adults (22%) with common cold, two of 10 infants (20%) with exanthem subitum, four of 39 febrile children (10%) with antibody to HHV-6 (including three of 10 infants aged under 1 year old, and one of 29 children aged over 1 year old). However, HHV-6 DNA was not detected in samples from healthy neonates.