Human Herpes virus 6a or HHV-6a virus  has been consistently found in a majority of CFS patients in scientific research. In addition, very high levels of this virus have been found in autopsies of dead CFS patients. There is a consensus among top scientists, researchers and doctors that HHV6a virus plays an important part in CFS. It may be a casuative factor, an opportunistic infection or a co-factor with other factors in the illness.

Scientific Paper  -  HHV6a and CFS

By HHV-6 Foundation, USA

The destructive power of HHV-6a virus

1. HHV-6a is able to infect and kill natural killer cells. Lusso, Paolo et al.; "Infection of Natural Killer Cells by Human Herpesvirus 6"; Nature 349:533, February 7, 1991.

2. HHV-6a is able to infect and kill CD4 (T4) cells. Lusso, P. et al.; "Productive Infection of CD4-Positive and CD8-Positive Mature Human T Cell Populations and Clones by Human Herpesvirus 6"; Journal of Immunology 147(2):685, July 15, 1991.

3. HHV-6a can cause other immune system cells (like CD8 cells) to express the CD4 cell surface antigen. Lusso, P. et al; "Induction of CD4 and Susceptibility to HIV-1 Infection in Human CD98-Positive T Lymphocytes by Human Herpesvirus 6"; Nature 349:533, February 7, 1991.

4. HHV-6a destroys the B-cells of the immune system at a rapid rate. This has been found in research carried out by Robert Gallo MD of the NIH in the USA and research by virologist Berch Henry, Nevada. This research is cited in the book 'Oslers Web', by Hillary Johnson, Penguin Books 1997

5. HHV-6a can infect a wide variety of organ tissues (besides immune system cells), including brain, spinal cord, lung, lymph node, heart, bone marrow, liver, kidney, spleen, tonsil, skeletal muscle, adrenal glands, pancreas, and thyroid. Knox, K.K. and D.R. Carrigan; "Disseminated Active HHV-6a Infections in Patients With AIDS"; The Lancet 343:577, March 5, 1994.

6. HHV-6a has been found to be closely associated with Kaposi's sarcoma, and suggested as a possible causitive agent of this "AIDS"-related cancer. Bovenzi, P. et al.; "Human Herpesvirus 6 (Variant A) in Kaposi's Sarcoma"; The Lancet 341:1288, May 15, 1993.

7. HHV-6a  has been associated with thrombocytopenia, a blood clotting disorder common in "AIDS" patients. Kitamura, K. et al.; "Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura After Human Herpesvirus 6 Infection"; The Lancet 344:830, September 17, 1994.

8. HHV-6a appears to cause graft-versus-host disease, an immune disorder that develops after transplant surgery (particularly after bone marrow transplantation). Cone, R.W. et al.; "Human Herpesvirus 6 in Lung Tissue From Patients With Pneumonitis After Bone Marrow Transplantation"; New England Journal of Medicine 329:156, July 15, 1993.

9. HHV-6a can infect other species; most notably, it has been found in 100 percent of some populations of African green monkeys. Higashi, K. et al.; "Presence of Antibody to HHV-6 In Monkeys"; J. Gen. Virol. 70:3171, 1989.

10. HHV-6a can cause fatal, disseminated infections. Knox and Carrigan, op cit.

11. HHV-6a can cause fatal pneumonitis (lung infection). R.W. Cone, op cit.

12. HHV-6a can cause fatal liver failure. Asano, Y. et al.; "Fatal Fulminate Hepatitis in an Infant With Human Herpesvirus-6 Infection"; The Lancet April 7, 1990.

13. HHV-6a can cause hepatitis, a sometimes-fatal liver infection. Y. Asano et al., ibid.

14. HHV-6a is associated with the development of brain lesions. Buchwald, D. et al.; "A Chronic, 'Postinfectious' Fatigue Syndrome Associated With Benign Lymphoproliferation, B-Cell Proliferation, and Active Replication of Human Herpesvirus-6"; Journal of Clinical Immunology 10:335, 1990.

15. HHV-6a is associated with a particular type of skin rash, or dermatitis, that occurs frequently following bone marrow transplantation. Michel, D. et al.; "Human Herpesvirus 6 DNA in Exanthematous Skin in BMT Patient"; The Lancet 344:686, September 3, 1994.

16. HHV-6a  is spread through saliva. Levy, J. et al.;"Frequent Isolation of HHV-6 From Saliva and High Seroprevalence of the Virus in the Population"; The Lancet, May 5, 1990.

17. HHV-6a  has been found to be associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute lymphocytic leukemia, African Burkitts lymphoma, and sarcoidosis, as well as "AIDS" and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Lusso, P. et al.; "In Vitro Cellular Tropism of Human B-Lymphotropic Virus(Human Herpesvirus-6)"; Journal of Experimental Medicine 167:1659, May 1988.

18. The two variants of HHV-6, Variant A and Variant B, appear to cause very different symptoms. Variant B seems to be associated with mild, childhood infection and disease; Variant A is found in immunocompromised adults with illnesses like "AIDS," cancer, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Dewhurst, S.W. et al.; "Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) Variant B Accounts for the Majority of Symptomatic Primary HHV-6 infections in a Population of U.S. Infants"; Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 1993.

19. HHV-6a's growth is stopped by the experimental drug Ampligen. Ablashi, D.V. et al.; Ampligen Inhibits In Vitro Replication of HHV-6"; Abstract from CFS conference, Albany, NY, October 2-4, 1992

20. When HHV-6a's growth is stopped by the experimental drug Ampligen in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, their symptoms resolve. (In a trial published in 1987, the same appeared to be true for "AIDS" patients treated with Ampligen.) Strayer, D.R. et al.; "A Controlled Clinical Trial With a Specifically Configured RNA Drug, Poly(I):Poly(C12U), in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome";Clinical Infectious Diseases, January 1994.

21. HHV-6a has been suggested as a "cofactor" in the development of "AIDS." P. Lusso and R.C. Gallo; "Human Herpesvirus 6 in AIDS"; The Lancet 343:555, March 5, 1994.
    
    Effects of HHV-6a virus compiled by Neenyah Ostrom