Human polyomavirus 6
| Human polyomavirus 6 | |
|---|---|
Virus classification 
| |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Monodnaviria |
| Kingdom: | Shotokuvirae |
| Phylum: | Cossaviricota |
| Class: | Papovaviricetes |
| Order: | Sepolyvirales |
| Family: | Polyomaviridae |
| Genus: | Deltapolyomavirus |
| Species: | Human polyomavirus 6
|
Human polyomavirus 6 (HPyV6) is a
polyomavirus family that infects human hosts. It was discovered in 2010 and is a component of the skin flora in healthy adults.[1]
Discovery
HPyV6 was first discovered in 2010 by
Merkel cell cancer) and Human polyomavirus 7.[1]
Taxonomy
HPyV6 is closely related to HPyV7, which was discovered at the same time; the two viruses' genomes share 68%
Prevalence
All known human polyomaviruses are fairly common in healthy adult populations and are usually asymptomatic. In studies that profile polyomavirus
maternal antibodies.[3] A study of cutaneous viruses in men found prevalence of HPyV6 DNA—indicating actively replicating virus—at around 12%.[7] Another similar study reported HPyV6 DNA prevalence at around 30%, with 24% showing persistent viral shedding over time.[8]
Clinical manifestations
As with many recently discovered human polyomaviruses, the clinical significance of HPyV6 is poorly characterized. Attempts to detect polyomaviruses in a variety of
tumor types have consistently found that HPyV6 is either absent or present at very low viral loads, indicating that it is unlikely to be causally related to the tumor.[8]
HPyV6, and the closely related HPyV7, have been linked to skin rashes known as pruritic and dyskeratotic
immunocompromised patients in case reports, though a causal association has not yet been established.[9][10]
References