Isolation of human herpesvirus 7 from a child with symptoms mimicking chronic Epstein‐Barr virus infection

Summary. Human herpesvirus‐7 (HHV‐7), which is a newly identified human herpesvirus with an unknown pathologic role, was isolated from a 5‐year‐old boy suffering from fever, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. Although the clinical course was similar to that of chronic active Epstein‐Barr virus infection, no viruses other than HHV‐7 were isolated. This finding raises the possibility that HHV‐7 played a pathogenic role in the present patient.