HHV-6 Reactivations in Immunocompetent Patients With Psychiatric Disorders: Visual Hallucinations or Possible Interactions?

    February 2025 in “ Infectious Diseases & Immunity
    Tommaso Lupia, Marco G. Casarotto, Francesco Giuseppe De Rosa
    TLDR HHV-6 reactivation may be linked to psychiatric disorders and can improve with antiviral treatment.
    This report discusses two cases of HHV-6 reactivation in immunocompetent patients with psychiatric disorders, highlighting the potential link between HHV-6 and psychiatric conditions. The first case involved a 42-year-old woman with major depressive disorder, who showed high HHV-6 DNA levels and improved after antiviral treatment. The second case was a 50-year-old woman with paranoid schizophrenia, who also showed high HHV-6 DNA levels in blood and CSF, and improved with antiviral therapy. The report emphasizes the need for further research to understand the correlation between HHV-6 reactivation and psychiatric disorders, as existing studies suggest a significant association between HHV-6 seropositivity and conditions like schizophrenia and mood disorders.
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