Lake Tahoe Illness Epidemic Information Resources

Dr. Paul Cheney (left) and Dr. Daniel Peterson during the Lake Tahoe epidemic in the mid-1980’s.

This page lists links to a variety of resources providing information about the Lake Tahoe illness epidemic of the mid-1980’s, including medical journal articles, local news coverage, national news coverage, blog articles, films, books and book chapters.

Journal Articles

Holmes GP, Kaplan JE, Stewart JE, Hunt B, Pinsky PF, Schonberger LB. A cluster of patients with chronic mononucleosis syndrome: Is Epstein-Barr virus the cause? JAMA, 257(17), 2297-302, May 1987. PMID: 3033337.
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Caligiuri M, Murray C, Buchwald D, Levine H, Cheney P, Peterson D, Komaroff AL, Ritz J. Phenotypic and functional deficiency of natural killer cells in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. J Immunol, 139(10), 3306-13; Nov.15, 1987. PMID: 2824604.

Grufferman S. et al. Epidemiologic investigation of an outbreak of chronic fatigue-immune dysfunction syndrome in a defined population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 128(4); 1998.

Cheney PR, Domain SE, Bell DS. Interleukin-2 and the chronic fatigue syndrome. Ann Intern Med 110(4), 321; Feb 15, 1989. PMID: 2783643.

Daugherty SA, Henry BE, Peterson DL, Swarts RL, Bastien S, Thomas RS. Chronic fatigue syndrome in northern Nevada. Rev Infect Dis, 13 Supp 1, S39-44. Jan-Feb 1991. PMID: 1850542

Buchwald D, Cheney PR, Peterson DL, Henry B, Wormsley SB, Geiger A, Ablashi DV, Salahuddin SZ, Saxinger C, Biddle R, Kikinis R, Jolesz FA, Folks T, Balachandran N, Peter JB, Gallo RC, Komaroff AL. A chronic illness characterized by fatigue, neurologic and immunologic disorders, and active human herpesvirus type 6 infection. Annals of Internal Medicine, 116 (2), 103-13. Jan.15, 1992. PMID: 1309285.
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Reeves WC, Pellett PE, Gary H. Letters: The chronic fatigue syndrome controversy. Annals of Internal Medicine, 117 (4), 343. August 15, 1992. PMID: 1322077
Read the Letter

Levine PH, Jacobson S, Pocinki AG, Cheney P, Peterson D, Connelly RR, Weil R, Robinson SM, Ablashi DV, Salahuddin SZ, et al. Clinical, epidemiologic and virologic studies in four clusters of the chronic fatigue syndrome. Arch Intern Med, 152(8), 1611-6; Aug 1992. PMID: 1323246

Levine PH, Peterson D, McNamee FL, O’Brien K, Gridley G, Hagerty M, Brady J, Fears T, Atherton M, Hoover R. Does chronic fatigue syndrome predispose to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma? Cancer Res, 52(19 Suppl), 5516s-5518s, discussion 5518s-5521s; October 1, 1992. PMID: 1394166.
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Chester AC, Levine PH. Concurrent sick building syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome: Neuromyasthenia revisited. Clinical Infectious Diseases, Vol.8, Supp 1, 543-548. Jan. 1994. PMID: 8148452.
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Buchwald D, Ashley RL, Pearlman T, Kith P, Komaroff AL. Viral serologies in patients with chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome. J Med Virol, 50(1), 25-30; Sept 1996. PMID: 8890037

Chester AC, Levine PH. The natural history of sick building syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. J Psychiatr Res, 31(1), 51-7; Jan-Feb 1997. PMID: 9201647

Levine PH, Fears TR, Cummings P, Hoover RN. Cancer and a fatiguing illness in northern Nevada: A casual hypothesis. Ann Epidemiol., 8(4), 245-9, May 1998. PMID: 9590603

Local Coverage

Tahoe World – August 15, 1985

North Lake Tahoe Bonanza – October 11, 1985

Sacramento Bee – October 11, 1985

Sacramento Bee – October 12, 1985

Reno Gazette-Journal – October 16, 1985

Tahoe Daily Tribune – October 16, 1985

North Lake Tahoe Bonanza – October 18, 1985

Tahoe World – October 24, 1985

North Lake Tahoe Bonanza – October 1985

North Lake Tahoe Bonanza – November 22, 1985

Tahoe World – November 28, 1985