Is ME/CFS the result of a Persistent Viral Infection?
One of the most commonly asked questions centres on whether the condition is the result of an ongoing Persistent Viral Fatigue Syndrome. This school of thought centres on incidences where a virus does not elicit a successful immune response and is thus not destroyed or results in cellular damage/interference. Suggestions for why this might occur are for instance (Shepherd, 1999): Under serious viral infections, such as Polio, when a virus multiplies with such force at an intracellular level that it can result in irreversible cellular damage, impairment or death of the cell. Other instances can occur where viruses in cells are able to persist and remain dormant. While latent these viruses can do little or no damage, but can become reactivated such as the virus associated with Glandular Fever (Epstein-Barr virus). One further potential explanation could lie with the body’s immune system continually reacting to dormant viruses within cells, thus causing damage to cells. Additionally, anot
