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[TEST] PCR DNA test on plasma or serum (qualitative or quantitative) [Comments] Any positive test result should be repeated with a quantitative test. Also, a whole blood test should be ordered to rule out chromosomally integrated HHV-6 which occurs in <1% of the population. (See ciHHV-6) Someone who inherits HHV-6 integration will always be positive in the serum, whether the HHV-6 is active or not.
Yes. HHV-6 is never found in plasma or serum unless there is an active infection (or the individual has ciHHV-6). However, the absence of HHV-6 DNA in the plasma/serum does not mean that there isn’t a low-level persistent infection in the tissues (e.g. heart, thyroid, brain). HHV-6 DNA is not found in the plasma/serum except during the initial infection and transiently during an acute infection.
HHV-6 Testing | HHV-6 Foundation | HHV-6 Disease Information for Patients, Clinicians, and Researchers | Apply for a Grant
Can it differentiate active from latent infection?