Krueger, G R, Sander, C · Pathology, research and practice · 1989 · DOI
This review examines human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), a common virus that most people carry in a dormant state. When the immune system is weakened, this virus can reactivate and potentially cause long-lasting fatigue and other health problems. The authors discuss how HHV-6 might contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome and other conditions, particularly in people with weak immune systems.
This study is relevant because it proposes a direct mechanistic link between HHV-6 reactivation and chronic fatigue syndrome, a connection that has motivated decades of ME/CFS research. Understanding whether persistent viral infection or reactivation contributes to ME/CFS pathogenesis could guide future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients.
This review does not prove that HHV-6 causes ME/CFS or establish causal mechanisms—it presents a hypothesis based on observed associations. It does not provide epidemiological data comparing HHV-6 reactivation rates in ME/CFS patients versus healthy controls, nor does it establish what proportion of ME/CFS cases involve active HHV-6 infection. The abstract does not clarify whether findings apply specifically to postinfectious forms or all ME/CFS presentations.
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 →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Krueger, G R & Sander, C (1989). What's new in human herpesvirus-6? Clinical immunopathology of the HHV-6 infection.. Pathology, research and practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0344-0338(89)80299-7
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-krueger-1989-what-new,
author = {Krueger, G R and Sander, C},
title = {What's new in human herpesvirus-6? Clinical immunopathology of the HHV-6 infection.},
journal = {Pathology, research and practice},
year = {1989},
doi = {10.1016/s0344-0338(89)80299-7},
note = {PubMed: 2559396},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/krueger-1989-what-new},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/krueger-1989-what-new
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