Post-acute infection syndrome
Post-acute infection syndromes (PAISs) or post-active phase of infection syndromes are a group of medical conditions characterized by chronic illness triggered by an infection. They are sometimes referred to as infection-associated chronic illnesses as well. While it is commonly assumed that people either recover or die from infections, illness is a possible outcome as well. Examples include long COVID (post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, PASC), chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and post-Ebola virus syndrome. Common symptoms include post-exertional malaise (PEM), severe fatigue, neurocognitive symptoms, flu-like symptoms, and pain. The pathology of most of these conditions is not understood and management is generally symptomatic. Classification PAIS is a broad term describing conditions triggered by various infections, including long COVID, ME/CFS, post-Ebola virus syndrome, post-dengue fatigue syndrome, post-polio syndrome, post-SARS syndrome, post-chikungunya disease, Q fever fatigue syndrome, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, and symptoms observed after other infections lacking a specific name. Other better-understood sequela of infections include multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), delayed acute encephalitis (a rare sequela of measles), and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. ME/CFS has similar symptoms, and usually, but not always, has an apparent infectious trigger. Many of these conditions, together with multiple sclerosis, are also sometimes categorized as infection-associated