Martin, W J, Zeng, L C, Ahmed, K et al. · The American journal of pathology · 1994
Researchers found an unusual virus in a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome that looked similar to cytomegalovirus (CMV) under a microscope but behaved differently. The virus had genetic material that partially matched CMV, but it didn't react to standard tests for known viruses. This suggests it may be a previously unknown type of virus that can establish a long-term infection in humans.
This study raises the possibility that ME/CFS may be associated with an atypical or previously uncharacterized virus, which could explain some cases of the illness and guide future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Understanding the role of persistent viral infections in ME/CFS etiology is crucial for developing targeted treatments.
This single case report does not prove that this virus causes ME/CFS—it only shows that one patient harbored it. The study cannot determine whether the virus is causative, coincidental, or a secondary infection. Replication in larger populations and mechanistic studies would be needed to establish pathogenic significance.
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
Martin, W J, Zeng, L C, Ahmed, K, & Roy, M (1994). Cytomegalovirus-related sequence in an atypical cytopathic virus repeatedly isolated from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome.. The American journal of pathology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8053501/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-martin-1994-cytomegalovirus-related,
author = {Martin, W J and Zeng, L C and Ahmed, K and Roy, M},
title = {Cytomegalovirus-related sequence in an atypical cytopathic virus repeatedly isolated from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {The American journal of pathology},
year = {1994},
note = {PubMed: 8053501},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/martin-1994-cytomegalovirus-related},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/martin-1994-cytomegalovirus-related
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