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
Two 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.


 * 10 February 2016, An open letter to The Lancet, again - Virology blog

Notable studies

 * 2015, 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)
 * 2008, Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with chronic enterovirus infection of the stomach (Abstract)
 * 2005, The role of enterovirus in chronic fatigue syndrome
 * 2004, Ribavirin and Interferon Alpha􏰀 for the Treatment of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Associated with Persistent Coxsackievirus B Infection: A Preliminary Observation

Talks & Interviews

 * 2016, 12th International IACFS/ME Biennial Clinical and Research Conference, Emerging Science and Clinical Care, Acute and Chronic Enteroviral Infection
 * 2015, Speaker at the 10th Invest in ME International ME Conference 2015 on Enteroviruses and ME/CFS: An Update on Pathogenesis DVD available
 * 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)
 * 2012, MECFS Alert Episode 38, part 1 - Interview with Dr. John Chia, Part 1 (22 December)
 * 2011, Speaker at the 6th Invest in ME International ME Conference 2011 on Enteroviruses in ME/CFS, Diagnosis and Treatment DVD available
 * 2011, Dr John Chia State of Knowledge ME/CFS Research Workshop(Day 2) Review (9 April)
 * 2011, Dr John Chia State of Knowledge Workshop on ME/CFS Research (Day 1) Part 1 (7 April)
 * 2011, Dr John Chia State of Knowledge Workshop on ME/CFS Research (Day 1) Part 2 (7 April)
 * 2011, The Dr. John Chia Interview (8/08): Introduction (6 March)
 * 2010, Speaker at the 5th Invest in ME International ME Conference 2010 on Enteroviruses in ME/CFS, Diagnosis and Treatment DVD available
 * 2009, Speaker at the 4th Invest in ME International ME Conference 2009 on Diagnosis and Treatment of chronic enterovirus infection associated with ME/CFS DVD available
 * 2008, Dr John Chia, The Role of Enterovirus in ME/CFS, International Symposium on Viruses In CFS 2008
 * 2008, Speaker at the 3rd Invest in ME International ME Conference 2008 on Research on the Role of Chronic Enterovirus Infection in CFS/ME DVD available

Media Coverage

 * 2013, Hanging Fire – Dr. John Chia (February)
 * 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
 * 2009, Dr. Chia On Oxymatrine, Autoimmunity, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia
 * 2007, Stomach Virus Could Trigger CFS. Enterovirus Found in Many Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Sufferers (13 September)
 * 2007, Study: Common Stomach Virus Tied to Chronic Fatigue (14 September)

Publications

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

Learn More

 * Stanford Medicine page on Dr. John Chia

Online Presence

 * PubMed
 * Website
 * Health Rising profile