Nijs, Jo, Nicolson, Garth L, De Becker, Pascale et al. · FEMS immunology and medical microbiology · 2002 · DOI
This study looked for four types of bacteria called Mycoplasma in the blood of 261 ME/CFS patients in Europe and compared them to 36 healthy people. The researchers found that about 69% of ME/CFS patients had at least one type of Mycoplasma bacteria, compared to only 6% of healthy controls. The most common type found was M. hominis, followed by M. pneumoniae and M. fermentans.
This study provides evidence that Mycoplasma infections occur at much higher rates in ME/CFS patients than in healthy people, suggesting a possible infectious component to the disease. Understanding whether these infections contribute to ME/CFS symptoms or disease progression could open new diagnostic and treatment approaches for European patients.
This study does not prove that Mycoplasma infections cause ME/CFS, only that they are more common in ME/CFS patients. The cross-sectional design means it cannot determine whether infections preceded illness onset or resulted from immunosuppression caused by ME/CFS. It also does not establish whether treating these infections would improve ME/CFS symptoms.
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
Nijs, Jo, Nicolson, Garth L, De Becker, Pascale, Coomans, Danny, & De Meirleir, Kenny (2002). High prevalence of Mycoplasma infections among European chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Examination of four Mycoplasma species in blood of chronic fatigue syndrome patients.. FEMS immunology and medical microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-695X.2002.tb00626.x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-nijs-2002-high-prevalence,
author = {Nijs, Jo and Nicolson, Garth L and De Becker, Pascale and Coomans, Danny and De Meirleir, Kenny},
title = {High prevalence of Mycoplasma infections among European chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Examination of four Mycoplasma species in blood of chronic fatigue syndrome patients.},
journal = {FEMS immunology and medical microbiology},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1111/j.1574-695X.2002.tb00626.x},
note = {PubMed: 12423773},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/nijs-2002-high-prevalence},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/nijs-2002-high-prevalence
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