Skin and eye colour are not the only things your child inherits from you it seems. Sometimes it can be a virus which has integrated into your DNA.Recent research has found that Human Herpes Virus -6 DNA which has integrated and hence become a part of parental DNA can be passed on to ones children .In less than one percent adult the virus finds a place in the genomic DNA and hence can be passed on to progeny through sperms and ova.One out of every 116 newborns have the HHV-6 DNA integrated into their genome.Out of the 43 infants( a total of 253 children were included in this study) who tested positive in this study 37 had the virus integrated in their DNA having inherited it from either parent ,7 had contracted the virus by placental transfer from the mother.Te first sive for the virus.et showed much higher load of virus in their bodies and even hair follicle tested positive.
The HHV-6 DNA integrates itself in the telomeric region of the chromosome which helps in immune regulation and ageing.Maintenance of this region is also important in cancer and HHV-6 is indeed associated with a number of lymphomas.
It is not clearly known though what danger it poses in infants who have the viral DNA as a part of its genome or if at any point of time the virus ,already a part of the genome can replicate and cause a full fledged infection.
HHv-^ is known to cause neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis and people with the integrated virus respond just as well to therapy .
Children without the integrated version of the virus are infected in 2 different ways,and by age 3 a number of children will have been infected.They might be infected in their mother’s womb since the virus can cross the placenta ,in which case they too will be born with the virus in their bodies. Other children get infected through contaminated saliva of play,ates and caregivers.Childhood infection of HHV-6 manifests as Roseola,a mild rash,and only in rare cases does it lead to something serious like seizures and gastric disorders.After this childhood encounter no trouble is caused except in cases when the person becomes immunocompromised. Causing serious complications like encephalitis and pneumonia.