Thomm, Angela M, Schotthoefer, Anna M, Dupuis, Alan P et al. · mSphere · 2018 · DOI
This study developed and tested a new blood test to detect Powassan virus, a tick-borne infection that can cause serious neurological problems. The test uses two steps: first screening with one method, then confirming positive results with a more specific test. The researchers found the test was accurate and could identify Powassan infections in patients living in areas where Lyme disease is common, suggesting this virus may be more prevalent than previously recognized.
This study establishes a validated diagnostic tool for detecting Powassan virus, which is relevant to ME/CFS patients with tick exposure because co-infections and post-infectious sequelae from tick-borne pathogens may contribute to chronic fatigue symptoms. The authors explicitly mention that POWV testing could benefit CFS patients with known tick exposure and those with unexplained neurologic symptoms, highlighting a potential diagnostic gap in assessing tick-related illness in this population. Understanding the prevalence and clinical spectrum of POWV infection is essential for accurately distinguishing tick-borne disease from other causes of persistent fatigue and neurological symptoms.
This study does not establish a causal link between Powassan virus infection and ME/CFS or demonstrate the clinical outcomes and long-term sequelae of POWV infection. The analytical validation alone does not prove what proportion of chronically fatigued patients have POWV as a contributing factor, nor does it clarify whether concurrent infections with POWV and other tick-borne pathogens produce distinct or overlapping clinical presentations. The cross-sectional serology cannot distinguish acute infection from past exposure or determine if POWV contributes to post-treatment sequelae.
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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