Acute Meningitis/Encephalitis Presumably Secondary to Human Herpesvirus 6: A Case Report

In this report, we present the case of a 39-year-old immunocompetent female with acute meningitis/encephalitis secondary to human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). Her initial symptoms included fever, hallucinations, and tremors, which prompted a broad diagnostic workup for infectious and autoimmune causes of encephalopathy. Her cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) initially tested negative for viral pathogens. Subsequently, a polymerase chain reaction test confirmed the presence of HHV-6 in the CSF. The patient ultimately received antiviral therapy with ganciclovir and foscarnet, which resulted in clinical improvement. This case report highlights the importance of including HHV-6 in the diagnostic workup of encephalitis in immunocompetent individuals.