We don’t fully understand what causes the illness. There are likely to be a number of factors involved. It sometimes affects more than one family member. The reasons are being studied but it seems your genes can play a part, as can the influence of your environment.
There is evidence that certain infections can trigger the illness. Many are viruses but M.E. can be triggered in other ways.
Find out more about triggers or refer to our booklet, All about M.E.
Get the latest research news via our dedicated news stream.
Read past articles on the what causes M.E. in our InterAction archive.
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