Krueger, G R, Ablashi, D V, Josephs, S F et al. · In vivo (Athens, Greece) · 1991
This review examines how doctors can diagnose human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection and its connection to various illnesses, including a condition called postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome. HHV-6 is a common virus that most people catch in childhood and then carry dormant in their bodies for life. The authors explain which tests doctors should use to accurately identify active HHV-6 infection and discuss why proper diagnosis matters for treatment.
For ME/CFS patients and researchers, this early review is significant because it explicitly links HHV-6 to postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome and addresses the diagnostic challenges that have plagued ME/CFS research. Accurate HHV-6 identification could help clarify whether this virus plays a causal or contributory role in ME/CFS onset and guide potential therapeutic approaches. Understanding proper diagnostic techniques is essential for distinguishing HHV-6-related illness from ME/CFS and identifying patients who might benefit from antiviral treatment.
This review does not prove that HHV-6 causes ME/CFS, only that active HHV-6 infection has been associated with postinfectious chronic fatigue syndrome in some cases. The review does not establish the prevalence of active HHV-6 in ME/CFS patients specifically, nor does it demonstrate that treating HHV-6 improves ME/CFS outcomes. As a diagnostic review rather than a treatment or epidemiological study, it does not provide evidence about incidence rates, disease mechanisms, or therapeutic efficacy.
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, Ablashi, D V, Josephs, S F, Salahuddin, S Z, Lembke, U, Ramon, A, et al. (1991). Clinical indications and diagnostic techniques of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection.. In vivo (Athens, Greece). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1654151/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-krueger-1991-clinical-indications,
author = {Krueger, G R and Ablashi, D V and Josephs, S F and Salahuddin, S Z and Lembke, U and Ramon, A and Bertram, G},
title = {Clinical indications and diagnostic techniques of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection.},
journal = {In vivo (Athens, Greece)},
year = {1991},
note = {PubMed: 1654151},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/krueger-1991-clinical-indications},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/krueger-1991-clinical-indications
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