Role of Epstein Barr virus [EBV] in chronic fatigue syndrome associated with tonsillitis and pharyngitis

To assess the possible role of [EBV] in patients with chronic tonsillitis and pharyngitis, complaining of chronic fatigue syndrome [CFS], we studied 42 of these cases, 38 normal controls, and 37 cases with tonsillitis and pharyngitis but without [CFS] symptoms. Anti [EBV] Ig[G] and anticytomegalovirus [CMV] Ig[M] and Ig[G] were evaluated by an ELISA technique. Ig[M] anti [EBV] was positive in 11.9% and Ig[G] in 57.1% of cases. Ig[G] anti [CMV] was present in only 7.1% of cases. These results were significantly higher than values encountered in controls and may point to the possible role of [EBV] as an aetiologic agent in [CFS] associated with chronic tonsillitis and pharyngitis