New Study Links Mouse Retroviruses To Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Filed in archive CFS , Studies , Viruses and Viral Infection on August 25, 2010

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Also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a serious systemic illness of unknown cause.

Now, another study in the US found that gene sequences of a family of mouse retroviruses in a high proportion of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Also, the researchers found the same gene sequences in a small proportion of healthy blood donors.

The researchers warned however that even though their findings suggest a link between murine leukemia viruses (MLV) and CFS, further studies are needed to prove whether MLVs actually cause CFS and also whether their presence in healthy blood donors means a threat to the national blood supply.

MLV is a type of retrovirus that causes cancer in mice. The research team is composed of scientists from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Harvard Medical School. Findings were reported and published in the 23 August online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).