Endogenous human herpesviruses 6A/B

J Virol. 2025 Sep 23;99(9):e0105425. doi: 10.1128/jvi.01054-25. Epub 2025 Aug 1.

Abstract

Human herpesviruses 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) can integrate into the germline, resulting in inherited viral DNA-now proposed to be called "endogenous HHV-6A/B (eHHV-6A/B)." Present in 0.2-3% of humans, this integrated DNA is passed to offspring and may reactivate, posing health risks such as angina or lupus. To reduce confusion caused by varied terminology, researchers advocate using "eHHV-6A/B" for inherited forms and reserving "chromosomally integrated" for somatic integrations only.

Keywords: HHV-6; eHHV-6; endogenous HHV-6; human herpesvirus 6; iciHHV-6; inherited chromosomally integrated HHV-6.

MeSH terms

  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • Herpesvirus 6, Human* / genetics
  • Herpesvirus 6, Human* / physiology
  • Humans
  • Roseolovirus Infections* / virology
  • Virus Integration*

Substances

  • DNA, Viral