Kagawa, Frank T, Wehner, John H, Mohindra, Vibha · Seminars in respiratory infections · 2003
Q fever is a rare bacterial infection that can be caught from animals and is highly contagious. Most people who catch it have no symptoms or mild flu-like illness, but some develop serious complications like pneumonia or inflammation of the heart. Importantly, a small number of people develop chronic Q fever, which can cause long-term fatigue similar to ME/CFS.
This review is relevant to ME/CFS researchers because it documents that chronic Q fever can present as a chronic fatigue syndrome phenotype, suggesting infectious triggers may play a role in post-infectious fatigue disorders. The detailed clinical presentation and treatment protocols may help clinicians recognize and manage Q fever in patients presenting with ME/CFS-like symptoms, improving diagnostic accuracy.
This review does not establish that Q fever is a common cause of ME/CFS, nor does it prove that the chronic fatigue following Q fever is pathophysiologically identical to ME/CFS. The study also does not provide epidemiological data on the prevalence of post-Q fever chronic fatigue or long-term patient outcomes.
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 →
Spotted an error in this entry? Report it →