A report from one of the discoverers of HHV-6, Dr. Dharam Ablashi and associates, presented evidence of active HHV-6 infection in up to 75% of CFIDS patients compared to virtually none in those without the ailment. 

HHV-6 is a cousin to HHV-5 cytomegalovirus (CMV).  CMV can cause serious infection, blindness or even death in patients with compromised or depressed immune systems.  HHV-6 has two variants, A and B.  Over 90% of the adult population has HHV-6B (often caught as a child) but it remains dormant thoughtout the rest of their lives.  About 20% of American adults carry HHV-6A in it’s latent form.  However, those with ailments such as HIV, MS and CFIDS often have the HHV-6A variant in it’s active state.

It has been theorized that different factors could predispose indviduals to HHV-6A susceptibility.  These include, but are not limited to, genetic make-up, chemical exposure, chronic stress (physical and emotional) and other environmental factors.  Dr. Konstance Knox with HerpesVirus Diagnostics, Inc. states, “what makes HHV-6 particularly insidious is that it attacks and debilitates immune cells, our defense mechanisms designed to destroy such mechanisms.”  Additional research has shown that HHV-6 can damage bone marrow, the liver and the lungs.

It appears that if the immune system loses the upper hand in keeping HHV-6 in it’s latent form, it can then attack the immune system, thus establishing itself a non-latent and chronic virus.  As mentioned in other articles on www.newchronicfatigue.info there are promising new antivirals and natural antiviral treatments available, but testing for HHV-6 remains difficult.