What Causes ME/CFS?
Most people led a healthy, active lifestyle before they became ill. In many cases a viral infection, such as a flu or upper respiratory infection, initiates ME/CFS. Instead of recovering from the “flu-like” illness, the patient’s health continues to deteriorate and s/he develops the many symptoms of ME/CFS. Multiple factors that stress the neurological, immune and endocrine systems may be involved, including environmental pollutants, physical trauma, immunization, and anesthetics. On rare occasions ME/CFS has developed in less than a week following a blood transfusion. How Common is ME/CFS? The Statistics Canada Community Health Survey[i] indicated that the prevalence of adults diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Canada was 341,126 in 2003. A large American study by L. Jason indicated that approximately 422 per 100,000, or 0.42%, of adults have ME/CFS, however, it is thought to be under-diagnosed. It is more common than AIDS (12 per 100,000), breast cancer (26 per 100,000), and
