Hypothesis Does Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Represent a Poly-Herpesvirus Post-Virus Infectious Disease?, 2025, Ariza et al

[forestglip]

Does Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Represent a Poly-Herpesvirus Post-Virus Infectious Disease?

Ariza, Maria Eugenia; Mena Palomo, Irene; Williams, Marshall V.

[Line breaks added]

Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating multisystem illness with unknown etiology. An estimated 17–24 million people representing approximately 1% of the population are afflicted worldwide. In over half of cases, ME/CFS onset is associated with acute “flu-like” symptoms, suggesting a role for viruses.

However, no single virus has been identified as the only etiological agent. This may reflect the approach employed or more strongly the central dogma associated with herpesviruses replication, which states that a herpesvirus exists in two states, either lytic or latent.

The purpose of this review is to address the role that abortive lytic replication may have in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS and other post-acute viral infections and also to raise awareness that these syndromes might be poly-herpesviruses mediated diseases.

Web | DOI | PMC | PDF | Viruses | Open Access

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Er, no.

 

[forestglip]

An estimated 17–24 million people representing approximately 1% of the population are afflicted worldwide.

I thought that doesn't make sense, since 1% of the world population is around 82 million.

Then I found that this figure has other known issues already. It's apparently based on MS, not ME/CFS. The cited paper is: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), Eun-Jin Lim et al, Feb 2020

And there was a response to the paper specifically about this 17-24 million people figure:

A global ME/CFS population of 17 to 24 million people is reported in articles such as those published in BMC Medicine [2] and Science [3], all referencing Lim et al. The same range of numbers is also easy to find in patient advocacy websites and news reports, such as those of the American Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Society [4] and CNN [5], all updated after Lim et al.’s article was published.

However, this figure is drawn from the Background section of Lim et al.’s article, where they state, “In worldwide statistics, approximately 1% of the population, 17 to 24 million people, suffer from this condition [14], which is likely to be as common as rheumatoid arthritis” [1]. The cited reference (reference [14]) is an article about the global burden of multiple sclerosis, and is not relevant to the global ME/CFS population.

Very strange that multiple papers are referencing a figure from the Background section instead of citing the actual result of the paper they're citing, or following the reference from the Background to the actual source for the 24 million figure and citing that (where they'd see it's not even the right condition).

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

The AI crash may hit us by Easter.