What is the link between XMRV and CFS/ME, fibromyalgia and other neuro-immune diseases?
The initial research showed that 67% of the CFS/ME patient samples tested positive for XMRV. Further work has found that 95% tested positive. Work continues to understand how this virus works within neuro-immune diseases, but this discovery proves a significant correlation between this serious retrovirus and these diseases. Our work suggests, but does not prove, that XMRV may be the underlying cause of CFS/ME. Much additional work needs to be done to understand how XMRV causes disease and what types of diseases it is linked to it. A few fibromyalgia samples were tested and yes, they were positive. However the sampling was very small, and testing will have to continue on a much larger scale to begin to draw significant conclusions. In addition, many patients with CFS/ME have been given the diagnosis of fibromyalgia when in fact they have CFS/ME and fibromyalgia.
