Frequent shedding of human herpesvirus 6 in saliva

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Abstract
We have previously reported the isolation of HHV‐6 from saliva samples. Because these isolations were made in PHA‐stimulated lymphocytes from healthy adults, which may occasionally contain endogenous HHV‐6, it was desirable to repeat this work using cord blood lymphocytes. In this study 18 isolations of viruses provisionally characterized as HHV‐6 were made from 19 saliva samples by centrifugally enhanced inoculation into PHA‐stimulated cord blood lymphocytes. HHV‐6 was not found in 10 pernasal aspirates, 50 endocervical swabs, or 30 male urethral swabs. It is concluded that HHV‐6 is usually present in the saliva of most adults and that this affords a possible explanation of the high infection rate with this virus in young children.