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Cytomegalovirus: An Overlooked Herpesvirus in Post-Viral and Chronic Disease Research

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Research into myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has frequently examined the possible involvement of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), particularly because some patients report the onset of prolonged illness following infectious mononucleosis or another acute viral illness. However, EBV is only one member of the human herpesvirus family. Another widespread herpesvirus deserving consideration in research into immune dysregulation and post-infectious disease is human cytomegalovirus (HCMV or CMV) , also known as human herpesvirus 5 (HHV-5) . CMV is extremely common. In most immunocompetent people, primary infection causes either no symptoms or a relatively mild mononucleosis-like illness. Once acquired, however, CMV is not eliminated from the body. Like other herpesviruses, it establishes lifelong latency and can reactivate under certain circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic has renewed scientific interest in herpesvirus reactivation during and after major infections. C...
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40 Years of ME/CFS: What Has Really Changed?

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Forty years into the modern history of ME/CFS, where are we—and which questions have we still failed to answer? The illness has travelled a troubling path: from the dismissive label “yuppie flu,” through decades in which symptoms were frequently attributed to psychological or psychosomatic causes, to the present day, when patients can still encounter physicians who question the nature, severity, or biological basis of their symptoms. So, after four decades, what has really changed? There is unquestionably greater scientific interest in the biology of ME/CFS. Researchers are investigating immune abnormalities, metabolism, autonomic dysfunction, neurological changes, the microbiome, viral reactivation, and other potential mechanisms. Yet no single cause has been established, no universally accepted diagnostic biomarker exists, and patients are still frequently told that routine investigations reveal “nothing abnormal.” But “nothing found” and “nothing there” are not scientifically equiva...
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Aspergillosis and Corticosteroids

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Aspergillus is a common mold found in soil, compost, decaying leaves, vegetation, household dust and damp environments. Its microscopic spores are present in the air, and most people breathe them in regularly without becoming ill. Aspergillosis mainly becomes a concern in people with underlying lung disease, asthma, structural lung damage or a weakened immune system . Corticosteroids ("cortisone" or steroids), including some asthma and COPD inhalers, may also increase susceptibility because they suppress parts of the immune response. Main forms and possible symptoms Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) occurs mainly in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis. Possible symptoms include wheezing, cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, thick mucus or mucus plugs, and worsening asthma. Unlike other forms, corticosteroids may actually be used to treat ABPA because they reduce the allergic inflammation. Aspergilloma ("fungus ball") develops when Aspergill...
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