Viral infection ruled out as cause of ME

Published on 18/09/2012 00:00

VIRUSES have nothing to do with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), despite earlier evidence of a link, a study has shown.

The new findings deepen the mystery surrounding the cause of the debilitating condition, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

Scientists dismissed previous claims that two viruses, known as XMRV and pMLV, may underlie CFS. “The bottom line is we found no evidence of infection with XMRV and pMLV,” said Dr Ian Lipkin, a member of the research team at Columbia University in New York City. “These results refute any correlation between these agents and disease.”

In 2009 and 2010, separate studies found the two viruses in the blood of CFS patients, raising hopes of identifying an easily treatable cause of the condition. But since then, other investigators have been unable to confirm the results.