The Human Variable 

Using CYNAERA’s US-CCUC™ model, we present a corrected demographic landscape grounded in published science, epidemiological data, and terrain-calibrated prevalence modeling. For the first time, undocumented immigrant populations and ancestral dietary biology are incorporated as visible drivers of disease prevalence. Our analysis demonstrates that half of Americans with ME/CFS are non-white, and that prevalence in certain groups is likely higher when adjusted for baseline into

Using CYNAERA’s US-CCUC™ (U.S. Chronic Condition Undercount Correction – Pediatric Edition) methodology, we estimate 1.5–3 million U.S. children and adolescents and 10–20 million globally meet ME/CFS criteria in 2025.

Using CYNAERA’s recalibrated tiered prevalence model, weighted for environmental exposure, access to paid sick leave, and diagnostic inequity, we estimate that around 14.4 million Americans currently meet the diagnostic criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

CYNAERA’s US-CCUC™ (Chronic Condition Undercount Correction – U.S.) model provides a corrected formula for estimating the real burden of ME/CFS. It builds on pre-pandemic cases, integrates the Long COVID surge, and corrects for the 80–90% of patients who were always there — but never diagnosed. Whether you lean on the cautious estimate of ~9.5 million Americans or the more realistic ~21.5 million, the message is the same: ME/CFS is a condition that rivals the scale of diabete

The Global-CCUC™ (Chronic Condition Undercount Correction – Global) model provides a recalibrated framework. By weighting diagnostic suppression, environmental terrain, social protections, clinical awareness, and pandemic burden, it reveals a truer picture: 94–127 million conservative cases and 220–290 million upper-bound cases worldwide.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating, multi-system neuroimmune disease on par with multiple sclerosis or congestive heart failure in severity, but for decades, it’s been sidelined by global health systems. Underdiagnosis, outdated clinical criteria, systemic bias, and institutional inertia have obscured its true scale. The result: tens of millions worldwide excluded from diagnosis, care, or recognition.