Advantages of Detecting an HHV-6 Infection

Wisconsin Viral Research Group, Ltd.

About HHV-6: Advantages of Detection

What are the advantages of detecting active HHV-6 infections?

The most basic reason for determining whether an individual patient has an active, ongoing HHV-6 infection is that it may explain otherwise mysterious and possibly serious symptoms of disease. In other words, if an active infection is detected, the reason for an otherwise puzzling set of symptoms may be clarified.

Other important reasons for the detection of an active viral infection include:

The presence of an active HHV-6 infection may justify the trial of an antiviral drug. Many physicians would consider it unethical to use a strong and potentially toxic therapy without a clear and well-documented reason.
In most cases, insurance coverage for antiviral drug therapy may require proof that an active viral infection is present. Such proof can only be offered by diagnostic testing in an accredited laboratory.
If antiviral therapy is initiated, follow-up testing is necessary to ascertain the effectiveness of the drug in suppressing the active HHV-6 infection. In some cases, an increased dosage of the drug or a change to an alternate agent may be required should initial therapy fails to suppress the infection.
Once a course of antiviral therapy has been successfully concluded, surveillance testing on a regular basis is advisable due the continued threat of future reactivations of HHV-6.