Post-infectious Fatigue Syndrome

Post-infectious Fatigue Syndrome (PIFS) is subtype of chronic fatigue syndrome defined by the Oxford criteria published in 1991. According to the definition, post-infectious fatigue syndrome is chronic fatigue syndrome associated with or following a laboratory-confirmed infection.

Criteria
The definition of post-infectious fatigue syndrome explicitly states that it is not known whether the infection has a role in causing the resulting chronic fatigue syndrome.

Role of infection
The definition of post-infectious fatigue syndrome does not refer to any particular type of infection; unlike postviral fatigue syndrome which limits the cause to viruses only.

A number of outbreaks of ME/CFS have been linked to viruses. Non-viral infections have caused a number of outbreaks.

Learn more

 * A report - chronic fatigue syndrome: guidelines for research - The "Oxford criteria" - Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine - Volume 84 February 1991 118-121