Is M.E. Contageous?

The short answer is that Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is not contageous. However, it is usually caused by viruses which are contageous. There have been cases of what looked like M.E. outbreaks¹, which have been tied to viruses at the time. As more people with Long COVID meet the criteria for M.E., the world is facing another outbreak. The US Institute of Medicine estimated that 17 million people worldwide have M.E.², but that estimate was made in 2015, pre-COVID.

There is a possibility that M.E. can be hereditary, but much more research is needed. A 2009 study "Pregnancy in Women with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)" found that 5% of children of mothers with M.E. later developed it themselves.

Additional triggers of M.E., as reported by patients, include physical trauma, significant stress, and exposure to mold or toxins.

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¹https://me-pedia.org/wiki/List_of_myalgic_encephalomyelitis_and_chronic_fatigue_syndrome_outbreaks#2

²https://ammes.org/how-many-people-have-mecfs/