Martin, W J · Pathobiology : journal of immunopathology, molecular and cellular biology · 1996 · DOI
This study looked at three patients who started with symptoms similar to ME/CFS and then developed severe brain inflammation. Brain tissue samples showed signs of unusual viral infection with damaged cells, but without the typical immune response usually seen in brain infections. Two patients partially recovered over time, while one remained severely disabled for years.
This study presents evidence that some ME/CFS cases may involve central nervous system viral infection, providing a potential biological explanation for severe symptoms in a subset of patients. Understanding these rare but severe presentations could improve clinical recognition and guide future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for ME/CFS.
This case series does not establish that stealth viruses cause ME/CFS generally, nor does it prove causation even in these three cases. The study cannot determine how common stealth virus encephalopathy is among ME/CFS patients, as it examined only three selected cases with unusually severe progression. Correlation between initial ME/CFS-like symptoms and subsequent stealth virus infection does not establish the nature of their relationship.
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 (1996). Severe stealth virus encephalopathy following chronic-fatigue-syndrome-like illness: clinical and histopathological features.. Pathobiology : journal of immunopathology, molecular and cellular biology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000163999
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-martin-1996-severe-stealth,
author = {Martin, W J},
title = {Severe stealth virus encephalopathy following chronic-fatigue-syndrome-like illness: clinical and histopathological features.},
journal = {Pathobiology : journal of immunopathology, molecular and cellular biology},
year = {1996},
doi = {10.1159/000163999},
note = {PubMed: 8856789},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/martin-1996-severe-stealth},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/martin-1996-severe-stealth
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