{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T00:21:51Z","timestamp":1790295711835,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,21]],"date-time":"2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742515200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases","award":["AI105781"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AI105781"]}]},{"name":"National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases","award":["R01NS111105"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01NS111105"]}]},{"name":"National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke","award":["AI105781"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AI105781"]}]},{"name":"National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke","award":["R01NS111105"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01NS111105"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Long COVID following SARS-CoV-2 and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis\/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME\/CFS) following infectious mononucleosis (IM) are two examples of post-viral syndromes. The identification of risk factors predisposing patients to developing and maintaining post-infectious syndromes may help uncover their underlying mechanisms. The majority of patients with ME\/CFS report infectious illnesses before the onset of ME\/CFS, with 30% of cases of ME\/CFS due to IM caused by the Epstein\u2013Barr virus. After developing IM, one study found 11% of adults had ME\/CFS at 6 months and 9% had ME\/CFS at 1 year. Another study of adolescents found 13% and 7% with ME\/CFS at 6 and 12 months following IM, respectively. However, it is unclear which variables are potential risk factors contributing to the development and maintenance of ME\/CFS following IM, because few prospective studies have collected baseline data before the onset of the triggering illness. The current article provides an overview of a study that included pre-illness predictors of ME\/CFS development following IM in a diverse group of college students who were enrolled before the onset of IM. Our data set included an ethnically and sociodemographically diverse group of young adult students, and we were able to longitudinally follow these youths over time to better understand the risk factors associated with the pathophysiology of ME\/CFS. General screens of health and psychological well-being, as well as blood samples, were obtained at three stages of the study (Stage 1\u2014Baseline\u2014when the students were well, at least 6 weeks before the student developed IM; Stage 2\u2014within 6 weeks following the diagnosis of IM, and Stage 3\u2014six months after IM, when they had either developed ME\/CFS or recovered). We focused on the risk factors for new cases of ME\/CFS following IM and found factors both at baseline (Stage 1) and at the time of IM (Stage 2) that predicted nonrecovery. We are now collecting seven-year follow-up data on this sample, as well as including cases of long COVID. The lessons learned in this prospective study are reviewed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13040702","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,21]],"date-time":"2025-03-21T07:25:00Z","timestamp":1742541900000},"page":"702","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Predisposing and Precipitating Factors in Epstein\u2013Barr Virus-Caused Myalgic Encephalomyelitis\/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9972-4425","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonard A.","family":"Jason","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ben Z.","family":"Katz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann and Robert H. 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