The Tudor Sweating Sickness and ME/CFS: A Hypothesis of Pathogenic Evolution and Modern Disease Manifestation

This paper presents a novel hypothesis connecting Tudor Sweating Sickness (TSS), which caused five major epidemics in England between 1485 and 1551, with modern Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Through comprehensive analysis of historical records, epidemiological patterns, and clinical presentations, it is proposed that ME/CFS may represent an evolved form of the pathogen responsible for TSS. This analysis reveals striking similarities in demographic distribution, symptom patterns, and physiological mechanisms, suggesting a potential evolutionary link between these conditions.