The ME/CFS Society of NSW Inc.

I thought it might be helpful to get in early and arm you with a scientific
appraisal of the recent article in Science regarding a new retrovirus
discovered in patients with CFS.
The first comment is that the findings are potentially very important to our
understanding of the illness.
The paper describes the detection of genetic material of a virus known as xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in 68 of 101 (67%) patients in the US, described as having illness "fulfilling the 1994 CDC Fukuda Criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and presenting with severe disability", compared to 8 of 218 (3.7%) healthy individuals.

Following a press conference at the Ritz Hotel in London on Thursday May 28, a number of UK newspapers have been reporting that the cause of ME/CFS has been identified and that a simple home-based diagnostic test for ME/CFS is now commercially available to the general public.

Daily Telegraph story

The urine test is based on the new scientific hypothesis that people with ME/CFS are producing excessive amounts of a chemical called hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and that this abnormality can be measured by a specific urine test (that measures an H2S metabolite/by-product).

A recent University of Iowa study reveals a biological link between pain and fatigue and may help explain why more women than men are diagnosed with chronic pain and fatigue conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Symptoms
Major symptoms of ME/CFS include severe prolonged fatigue, post-exertional malaise, sleep disturbances, pain syndromes and several of many possible disturbances to neurological and cognitive function including perceptual, sensory and motor problems, poor concentration and short term memory, autonomic nervous system problems such as orthostatic intolerance, breathing and heart irregularities and dysfunction of the gut, neuroendocrine disturbances such as changes to the control of body temperature and marked weight changes, and disturbances of the immune system such as 'flu-like symptoms and new sensitivities to food, medications and/or chemicals.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), also referred to as Myalgic Encephalopathy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Chronic Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) is a serious, very debilitating and complex illness that affects multiple systems in the body. Although chronic fatigue (CF) is a very common health problem, ME/CFS affects only about 0.2-0.4% of the population (based on a recent high quality US study).

The Society has an extensive library of over 150 books, 60 video and 70 audio tapes on a range of topics relating to ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia and related illnesses. There are even a few cookbooks for people with food intolerances.

Borrowing is available to all members of the society, however if your membership is about to lapse, you will be required to renew before you are able to borrow. A maximum of three (3) items may be borrowed at any one time.