Pre- and perinatal infections due to human herpesvirus-6 and Epstein-Barr-virus with lethal outcome or severe residual encephalopathy.

The Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection causes exanthem subitum (in typical cases) and a wide range of other symptoms. So far no prenatal or perinatal infections have been reported. For HHV-6 the prenatal infection should be extremely rare, because more than 95% of adults are immune in Germany. Two own cases reported here document that pre- and perinatal HHV-6 infection does occur and can provoke dramatic clinical symptoms of illness with death or cerebral defects like other prenatal herpesvirus infections (HSV, VZV, CMV etc.).