No link between chronic fatigue and virus

11 March 2010

Research at the Medical Research Council National Institute for Medical Research and St George’s, University of London, has found no evidence of a link between chronic fatigue syndrome and a recently discovered virus.

Also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome affects around 250 000 people in the UK. Its causes are not clear but a 2009 study found evidence of a retrovirus called XMRV in two-thirds of people with the condition. The new study, which involved sampling DNA from 299 people, including 142 samples from those with chronic fatigue syndrome, failed to replicate these earlier findings. The new study supports research published earlier in 2010 that similarly could not replicate the findings.

Dr Kate Bishop, the Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow who led the study, said: "We found no association between XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome. However, chronic fatigue syndrome may encompass a spectrum of different conditions, providing a possible explanation for this discrepancy…It is important that we keep an open mind about new scientific discoveries which point to possible causes of this often very serious condition."

Image: Sick and Tired. Credit: malla_mi on Flickr