Role of Mycoplasmal Infections in Fatigue Illnesses

SUMMARYBacterial and viral infections are purported to be associated with several fatigue illnesses, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), Gulf War Illnesses (GWI) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), as causative agents, cofactors or opportunistic infections. We and others have looked for the presence of invasive pathogenic mycoplasmal infections in patients with CFS, FMS, GWI and RA and have found significantly more mycoplasmal infections in CFS, FMS, GWI and RA patients than in healthy controls. Most patients had multiple mycoplasmal infections (more than one species). Patients with chronic fatigue as a major sign often have different clinical diagnoses but display overlapping signs/symptoms similar to many of those found in CFS/FMS. When a chronic fatigue illness, such as GWI, spreads to immediate family members, they present with similar signs/symptoms and mycoplasmal infections. CFS/FMS/GWI patients with mycoplasmal infections generally respond to particular antibiotics (doxycycline, minocycline, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin and clarithromycin), and their long-term administration plus nutritional support, immune enhancement and other supplements appear to be necessary for recovery. Examination of the efficacy of antibiotics in recovery of chronic illness patients reveals that the majority of myco-plasma-positive patients respond and many eventually recover. Other chronic infections, such as viral infections, may also be involved in various chronic fatigue illnesses with or without mycoplasmal and other bacterial infections, and these multiple infections could be important in causing patient morbidity and difficulties in treating these illnesses.