Dooley, Ming, McMahon, Scott W · Environmental analysis, health and toxicology · 2025 · DOI
This review looked at research studies from 2011-2018 that examined whether exposure to mold and damp environments is linked to fatigue. Researchers analyzed six high-quality studies involving over 41,000 people and found consistent evidence that living or working in moldy or damp spaces is associated with fatigue. The findings suggest that improving indoor air quality and reducing mold exposure may help reduce fatigue symptoms.
For ME/CFS patients, this review is significant because environmental factors like mold and dampness exposure may contribute to or exacerbate fatigue symptoms. Understanding these environmental triggers could inform management strategies and help patients identify modifiable risk factors in their living spaces. This work bridges environmental health and post-infectious illness research, areas increasingly relevant to understanding ME/CFS pathophysiology.
This review establishes association but not causation—we cannot conclude that mold exposure directly causes fatigue or ME/CFS. The studies included were primarily cross-sectional, limiting causal inference. The review does not clarify whether mold exposure triggers new-onset ME/CFS, worsens existing symptoms, or causes isolated fatigue distinct from ME/CFS.
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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Primary citation
Dooley, Ming & McMahon, Scott W (2025). Fatigue and exposure to mold and/or dampness: A systematic review of the literature from 2011-2018.. Environmental analysis, health and toxicology. https://doi.org/10.5620/eaht.2025018
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-dooley-2025-fatigue-exposure,
author = {Dooley, Ming and McMahon, Scott W},
title = {Fatigue and exposure to mold and/or dampness: A systematic review of the literature from 2011-2018.},
journal = {Environmental analysis, health and toxicology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.5620/eaht.2025018},
note = {PubMed: 41265402},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/dooley-2025-fatigue-exposure},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/dooley-2025-fatigue-exposure
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