HHV-6 and CFS/CFIDS/ME

Wisconsin Viral Research Group, Ltd.

About HHV-6: HHV-6 and Disease

HHV-6 and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness characterized by symptoms including severe and persistent fatigue, tender or swollen lymph glands, impaired memory and concentration, headaches, sleep disturbances, sore throat, and joint pain.
The cause of CFS is unknown and there is currently no known diagnostic test for CFS. Formal criteria for the diagnosis of CFS were established in 1988 and were revised in 1994. Click here to go to the CDC web site on CFS.

CFS is also referred to by a number of other terms including CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) and ME (Myalgic Encephalomelitis).
CFS is also thought to be related other conditions such as fibromyalgia (FM), multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), and chronic mononucleosis.
There is currently no treatment for CFS.

In studies performed by our laboratory, single, random blood specimens from CFS patients were obtained from clinics around the country. Thirty-nine percent of these CFS patients were positive for active HHV-6. None of the blood samples from normal controls were positive, which is a significant finding. This demonstrates that active HHV-6 infections in the blood are highly abnormal.

Periodic blood samples were drawn from some of these CFS patients over a 12 to 18 month period. Our study showed that, on average, these samples were positive for active HHV-6 50% of the time. After testing a second sample from the patients whose initial sample was negative, it was shown that another 16% of the patients were positive for an active HHV-6 infection. This suggests that the amount of active virus (viral load) present at different times in the course of an active HHV-6 infection may vary. This is the rationale for repeat testing in cases where the initial sample is negative.

We believe that infection of this patient population with active HHV-6 can account for the clinical symptoms of this CFS. This raises the possibility that CFS may be effectively treated with currently available antiviral medications.

For more detailed information about HHV-6 and CFS, click here.