John Chia

Dr. John K. S. Chia is an infectious disease doctor with a medical practice in Torrance, California. Dr. Chia became heavily involved in research and clinical care of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients after his son, Andrew Chia, became ill with CFS in 1997. He has published several papers on infectious causes of ME and CFS, including evidence of involvement of enteroviruses such as coxsackie B and echovirus, other viruses such as parvovirus B19, as well as bacteria such as Chlamydia pneumoniae. In addition to his clinical work, he runs his own enterovirus research laboratory and is on the board of directors of the Enterovirus Foundation.

Dr. Chia has performed clinical trials in an attempt to find treatment for patients with ME and CFS. His treatment attempts have focused on the use of antiviral compounds such as amantadine, ribavirin, and lamivudine in addition to immune modulators such as interferon and the plant compound oxymatrine. Towards this end, he and his son, a pharmacist, have developed his own proprietary herbal preparation containing oxymatrine and other plant compounds, called Equilibrant.

International Consensus Criteria
Dr. Chia co-authored the 2011 case definition, International Consensus Criteria.

Open Letter to The Lancet
Three open letters to the editor of The Lancet urged the editor to commission a fully independent review of the PACE trial, which the journal had published in 2011. In 2016, Dr. Chia, along with 41 colleagues in the ME/CFS field, signed the second letter. In 2018, Dr. Chia was joined with over 100 signatories.


 * 10 February 2016, An open letter to The Lancet, again - Virology blog
 * 19 June 2018, An Open Letter to The Lancet, Two Years On

Notable studies

 * 2004, Ribavirin and Interferon-α for the Treatment of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Associated with Persistent Coxsackievirus B Infection: A Preliminary Observation (Full Text)
 * 2005, The role of enterovirus in chronic fatigue syndrome (Full Text)
 * 2008, Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with chronic enterovirus infection of the stomach (Abstract)
 * 2015, Poster - Dr Chia's ME/CFS post-mortem brain study: Chronic Enterovirus Infection in a Patient With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) – Clinical, Virologic and Pathological Analysis
 * 2015, Functional Dyspepsia and Chronic Gastritis Associated with Enteroviruses (Full Text)

Talks & interviews

 * 2008: International Symposium on Viruses In CFS 2008: The Role of Enterovirus in ME/CFS
 * 2008: Invest in ME International ME Conference 2008: Research on the Role of Chronic Enterovirus Infection in CFS/ME DVD available
 * 2009: Invest in ME International ME Conference 2009: Diagnosis and Treatment of chronic enterovirus infection associated with ME/CFS DVD available
 * 2010: Invest in ME International ME Conference 2010: Enteroviruses in ME/CFS, Diagnosis and Treatment DVD available
 * 2011: Invest in ME International ME Conference 2011: Clinical and Research Experience of Enteroviral Involvement in ME/CFS DVD available
 * 2011: Dr John Chia State of Knowledge Workshop on ME/CFS Research (Day 1) Part 1
 * 2011: Dr John Chia State of Knowledge Workshop on ME/CFS Research (Day 1) Part 2
 * 2011: Dr John Chia State of Knowledge ME/CFS Research Workshop (Day 2) Review
 * 2011: The Dr. John Chia Interview (8/08): Introduction (6 March)
 * 2012: MECFS Alert Episode 38, part 1 - Interview with Dr. John Chia, Part 1 (22 December)
 * 2013: MECFS Alert Episode 41, part 4 - Interview with Dr. John Chia, Part 4 (17 February)
 * 2013: MECFS Alert Episode 40, part 3 - Interview with Dr. John Chia, Part 3 (30 January)
 * 2013: MECFS Alert Episode 39, part 2 - Interview with Dr. John Chia, Part 2 (11 January)
 * 2015: Invest in ME International ME Conference 2015: Enteroviruses and ME/CFS: An Update on Pathogenesis DVD available
 * 2016: 12th International IACFS/ME Biennial Clinical and Research Conference: Acute and Chronic Enteroviral Infection

Media coverage

 * 13 September 2007, Stomach Virus Could Trigger CFS. Enterovirus Found in Many Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Sufferers
 * 14 September 2007, Study: Common Stomach Virus Tied to Chronic Fatigue
 * 2009, Dr. Chia On Oxymatrine, Autoimmunity, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia
 * 2011, An Interview With Dr. John Chia M.D. Enteroviruses and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Part II: Persistence, Treatment and the Future
 * 2011, An Interview With Dr. John Chia, M.D. Part I
 * 2011, Dr Chia's report on the use of interferon to treat ME/CFS
 * 2011, Oxymatrine
 * February 2013, Hanging Fire – Dr. John Chia

Publications

 * 2003, Correspondence in Clinical Infectious Diseases - "Diverse Etiologies for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"

Online presence

 * Health Rising profile
 * PubMed
 * Website

Learn more

 * Stanford Medicine page on Dr. John Chia