on cells. Among these include membrane leaking, the presence of lytic syncytia, occasional apoptosis, the supporting of latent infection, and increases and decreases in levels of certain cytokines. Entry HHV-7, like many other herpesviruses, relies on glycoproteins for entry. Specifically, HHV-7 is known to encode glycoproteins B, H, and L, but not C or D. In terms of betaherpesvirus specifically, it is thought that gB, gH, and gL are required for infection. Additionally, HHV-7 encodes a glycoprotein complex (gp82-105) that is unique to HHV-7 and HHV-6. Detection and treatment In adults, the effects of HHV-7 separate from HHV-6 have not been well-researched. One reason for this is because the detection of HHV-7 was at first difficult to do quickly, as the process for doing so involves a procedure that is difficult to do in commercial laboratories and because viral isolation and serological testing are long processes that do not lend themselves to finishing quickly. HHV-7 can be grown in various lymphocytes in vitro, but researchers have noted that the virus does not propagate well under laboratory conditions. A process known as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has recently been developed to speed up detection of HHV-7, although a larger sample size of patients must be tested first to see if the test will still work across a broad range of subjects. No reliable serological test has been developed yet for HHV-7 alone, but multiple are in the process of being developed. The use of PCR assays to test for HHV-7 is also being explored. No HHV-7 infection-specific treatment exists. While HHV-7 may not be linked to any specific diseases, some researchers emphasize that the virus is still clinically relevant as it causes significant complications in immunocompromised patients. Specific treatment options for HHV-6, 7, and 8 are currently in the early stages of development. Some research suggests that acyclovir and anti-CMV drugs such as cidofovir and foscarnet may have some therapeutic benefit in HHV-7 infection. Additionally, some experimental drugs, such as cyclotriazadisulfonamide, and 9-R-2-phosphonomethoxypropyladenine may be effective against HHV-7. There is a need for HHV-7 specific treatments, however, because broad-spectrum antivirals are typically toxic and thus unsuitable for prophylactic use. Epidemiology Over 95% of adults have been infected and are immune to HHV-7, and over three quarters of those were infected before the age of six. Primary infection of HHV-7 among children generally occurs between the ages of 2 and 5, which