Human Herpes Virus 6 variant A (HHV-6A) directly linked to multiple sclerosis-like illness.
Evidence Presented at American Neurology Association Annual Meeting SAN DIEGO, Oct. 5, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dr. Claude Genain of the University of California San Francisco Medical Center presented evidence at the American Neurology Association Annual Meeting this week that shows a direct link between human herpes virus 6 variant A (HHV-6A) and a multiple sclerosis-like illness. Dr. Genain injected common marmoset monkeys with HHV-6 variants A & B. Most notably, only infection with HHV-6 variant A resulted in illness. The monkeys developed lab evidence and signs of chronic autoimmune demyelination of the central nervous system, the hallmark of multiple sclerosis. This is the first time that any animal infected with HHV-6A has developed clinical pathology of the central nervous system, and the most direct evidence to date of a possible causal connection between HHV-6A and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Genain's marmoset developed weight loss and paralysis with sensory deficits af...
