Mozhgani, Sayed-Hamidreza, Rajabi, Farid, Qurbani, Mohsen et al. · Intervirology · 2022 · DOI
This study reviewed and combined the results of 17 different research studies to see if there's a connection between a common virus called HHV-6 and ME/CFS. The researchers found evidence suggesting that HHV-6 infection may be associated with developing ME/CFS, but they emphasize that more research is needed to fully understand this relationship.
For ME/CFS patients, identifying potential viral triggers like HHV-6 could lead to better understanding of disease mechanisms and inform treatment development. For researchers, this synthesis provides evidence that warrants further investigation into how HHV-6 might contribute to ME/CFS pathogenesis, potentially opening new diagnostic or therapeutic avenues.
This meta-analysis does not establish that HHV-6 *causes* ME/CFS—it only demonstrates an association, which may be bidirectional or confounded by unmeasured variables. The review does not clarify whether HHV-6 is a necessary factor, a sufficient trigger, or simply more prevalent in certain ME/CFS populations. Individual study quality and potential selection bias in published literature may limit generalizability.
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
Mozhgani, Sayed-Hamidreza, Rajabi, Farid, Qurbani, Mohsen, Erfani, Yousef, Yaslianifard, Somayeh, Moosavi, Azam, et al. (2022). Human Herpesvirus 6 Infection and Risk of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Intervirology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000517930
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-mozhgani-2022-human-herpesvirus,
author = {Mozhgani, Sayed-Hamidreza and Rajabi, Farid and Qurbani, Mohsen and Erfani, Yousef and Yaslianifard, Somayeh and Moosavi, Azam and Pourrostami, Kiomars and Baradaran Bagheri, Ali and Soleimani, Alireza and Behzadian, Farida and Safavi, Mahshid and Rezaei, Farhad},
title = {Human Herpesvirus 6 Infection and Risk of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.},
journal = {Intervirology},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1159/000517930},
note = {PubMed: 34348314},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/mozhgani-2022-human-herpesvirus},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/mozhgani-2022-human-herpesvirus
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