Chronic fatigue syndrome's headaches, muscle aches, tiredness, and concentration problems have no known cause, so a paper published online yesterday, in which researchers report finding a type of virus in 87 percent of 37 chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients tested, seems a promising step. But in statements to the media the researchers stress caution in interpreting results. The group also noted that it had delayed publishing the paper, originally meant to appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in May, due to conflicting reports from other scientists.
The National Institutes of Health's Dr. Harvey Alter, senior author of the paper, said in a conference call with reporters, "It's an association, but that's all it is." He was careful to say the findings don't prove that a virus causes CFS. [NPR]
Alter's caution is understandable, especially given recent CFS research history: October 2009: A virus, XMRV (xenotropic murine ...
