Almost Half of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cases Are Caused by Ticks

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) continues to puzzle medical practitioners. To date, it’s estimated that around 3.3 million Americans have this condition. However, researchers have begun to make headway into discovering a big part of what causes CFS — ticks. A study published in Pathogens investigated whether people living with CFS carry hidden blood infections that standard tests completely miss. A total of 23 out of 50 participants tested positive for either Babesia, Bartonella, or both. Both pathogens cause chronic, subclinical infections where levels of the organism stay extremely low and fluctuate, making them difficult to detect with standard lab panels. Advanced testing methods like enrichment blood cultures and digital PCR are required for accurate diagnosis.