Highlights:
- Subset of ME/CFS cases proposed to be caused by a ‘noisy’ latent HSV-1 infection within the brain.
- HSV-1 proposed to cause local sickness behaviour-like response in the brain.
- IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α in the brain proposed to increase sensations of fatigue and pain.
Abstract:
This work presents the hypothesis that a Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) infection in the brain is a significant contributor to the symptoms experienced by a subset of ME/CFS patients. In these patients, an HSV-1 infection has spread from the trigeminal ganglia to the brain, leading to a sickness behaviour-like response that amplifies sensations such as fatigue, pain, and nausea. The hypothesis proposes that ME/CFS is a heterogeneous condition, with a ‘noisy’ latent HSV-1 infection of the brain, and an enduring sickness behaviour-style immune response, an underlying factor for a subset of patients.
Source: John Campbell. ME/CFS as a sickness behaviour-like response to HSV-1 infection within the brain: A hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses, Volume 204, 2025, 111788. ISSN 0306-9877 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2025.111788. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987725002270 (Full text)