Post-viral fatigue syndrome

Overview
Post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) is a condition that presents a fatigue-like state resulting from a viral infection. The term is not widely used, but the state of prolonged or severe fatigue after illness is not uncommon. Some persons will experience fatigue and related symptoms for months or years following a severe viral infection.

Classification
In the WHO's ICD10, PVFS is a group header within 'other disorders of the brain', a neurological category. It is furthermore explicitly excluded from neurotic disorders. Listed under PVFS is Benign Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME); several alternative diagnoses to ME such as Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and Neuromyasthenia are included in the alphabetic list of the ICD10.

Post-viral syndromes may also include: post-polio syndrome, late Lyme disease, and possibly chronic mononucleosis or other severe chronic viral infections.

Some researchers claim that post-viral fatigue syndrome is a biological state of weakness or activation of, or damage to the immune system, and that it is common to many post-viral syndromes. It is hoped that immune system research, especially that connected to HIV, may lead to better understanding of, and treatments for, other post-viral syndromes.