HUMAN HERPES-VIRUS-6 (HHV-6) INFECTION IN SAUDI CHILDREN

A total of 280 healthy Saudi children (155 males, 125 females) aged 1- 36 months were tested for IgG antibodies to human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6). At the same time sera from 136 Saudi children 1-24 months (87 males and 49 females) who were clinically diagnosed as having measles or rubella, but were negative to rubella or measles specific IgM anti bodies, were also tested for anti-HHV-6-IgM antibodies. The age-specif ic prevalence showed that exposure to HHV-6 starts in early life (7-12 months) among Saudi children to reach 100% by the age of 2 years. The data also show that 45% of Saudi children with rashes were misdiagnos ed for measles or rubella on clinical grounds, emphasizing the need fo r laboratory confirmation of clinical diagnosis of these diseases. (C) 1998 Chapman & Hall Ltd.