Krueger, G R, Ablashi, D V, Josephs, S F et al. · In vivo (Athens, Greece) · 1991
This review examines how doctors can diagnose human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection and its connection to various illnesses, including a condition called postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome. HHV-6 is a common virus that most people catch in childhood and then carry dormant in their bodies for life. The authors explain which tests doctors should use to accurately identify active HHV-6 infection and discuss why proper diagnosis matters for treatment.
For ME/CFS patients and researchers, this early review is significant because it explicitly links HHV-6 to postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome and addresses the diagnostic challenges that have plagued ME/CFS research. Accurate HHV-6 identification could help clarify whether this virus plays a causal or contributory role in ME/CFS onset and guide potential therapeutic approaches. Understanding proper diagnostic techniques is essential for distinguishing HHV-6-related illness from ME/CFS and identifying patients who might benefit from antiviral treatment.
This review does not prove that HHV-6 causes ME/CFS, only that active HHV-6 infection has been associated with postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome in some cases. The review does not establish the prevalence of active HHV-6 in ME/CFS patients specifically, nor does it demonstrate that treating HHV-6 improves ME/CFS outcomes. As a diagnostic review rather than a treatment or epidemiological study, it does not provide evidence about incidence rates, disease mechanisms, or therapeutic efficacy.
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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