Fohlman, J, Friman, G, Tuvemo, T · Lakartidningen · 1997
Enteroviruses are common viruses that usually cause mild illnesses like colds, but researchers have discovered that in some cases, these viruses may persist in the body long after the initial infection. This review suggests that chronic or recurring enteroviral infections might contribute to several unexplained diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome, by either persisting in the body or triggering abnormal immune responses.
This review is foundational to discussions linking enteroviral infection to ME/CFS pathogenesis. For patients and researchers, it documents the conceptual shift from viewing enteroviruses as acute, self-limited infections to recognizing their potential for chronicity and long-term immune consequences, which has influenced subsequent ME/CFS research directions.
This review does not prove that enteroviruses cause ME/CFS or establish the frequency of persistent enteroviral infection in ME/CFS patients. It is speculative in nature and does not provide original clinical or laboratory evidence demonstrating the mechanism by which enteroviruses might trigger chronic fatigue. The proposed link remains hypothetical and requires mechanistic and epidemiological validation.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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