Virus Link To Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Study: 80% Of People With CFS Show Evidence Of Stomach Bug, Compared To 20% In General Population

(WebMD)  A group of viruses known to cause respiratory and gut infections may also be a major trigger for chronic fatigue syndrome, known as CFS.

In a newly published study, four out of five CFS patients showed evidence of chronic enterovirus infection in stomach tissue biopsies, compared with just one in five healthy people.

Enteroviruses are very common, second only to the common cold viruses as the most common viral infections in humans, according to the CDC. Most people who are infected with an enterovirus have no symptoms at all.

California infectious disease specialist John Chia, M.D., says his findings point to chronic infection with the virus as a possible cause of chronic fatigue syndrome in a large percentage of patients.

But a longtime CFS researcher says the complex disorder is not likely to be so easily explained.

James Jones, M.D., of the CDC’s chronic viral diseases branch, says despite extensive research, no cause-and-effect relationship between an active infectious agent and chronic fatigue syndrome has been established.

“This is an illness with a lot of different origins, and to assume that its cause is due to an infection because the symptoms are similar to an infection is a great leap,” Jones tells WebMD.

2.5 Percent of Americans Have CFS

Early this summer, CDC researchers reported that the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome may be between six and 10 times higher in the U.S. than previously believed.
The major symptom of the disease is severe fatigue - not relieved with rest - that persists for at least six months. But patients also often complain of symptoms such as muscle and joint pain, memory and concentration problems, depression, sleep problems, headaches, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and/or gastrointestinal problems.

Chia, who practices medicine in Torrance, Calif., says he began researching chronic fatigue syndrome soon after his son Andrew became sick with the condition in 1997 at age 14.

“It took us a year to find out what he had,” he says.

Early efforts to find a cause for CFS focused on viruses. Jones was among the first to suggest that chronic infection with the virus that causes mononucleosis, the Epstein-Barr virus, might explain the disease.

But the failure to find persistent evidence of Epstein-Barr or any other virus in the blood of CFS patients led most researchers, including Jones, to look elsewhere for causes.

The lack of a diagnostic test for chronic fatigue syndrome also led many to dismiss it as an imaginary disorder, but recent research by CDC and others have proven that it is both real and common.

Other Conditions Lead To CFS

In previous research, Chia reported finding evidence of chronic infection in the muscles of CFS patients.

In the new study, he looked for similar evidence in stomach tissue taken from CFS patients who had the diagnostic procedure known as endoscopy, in which a long tube with a camera is inserted via the mouth into the stomach and
biopsies of tissue are taken.

Specimens from 165 CFS patients and 34 people without the disorder were tested, and Chia found evidence of possible chronic infection in 82 percent of the CFS patients and 20 percent of the well patients.

Though the findings must be verified, Chia says they suggest a strong association between possible chronic infection with enterovirus and chronic fatigue syndrome.

“Although finding a chronic infection in the stomach may not directly prove a similar infection in the brain, muscle, or heart, it opens up a new direction in the research for this elusive disease,” he writes in the latest online edition of the Journal of Clinical Pathology.

Specifically, he says endoscopy could prove to be a relatively simple test to confirm persistence of enterovirus infection in CFS patients, as well as a way of following responses to antiviral treatments.

Chronic Fatigue and Immune Disorder Syndrome Association of America president Kimberly McCleary says CFS has turned out to be a much more complex illness than anyone could have predicted.

“It is unlikely that we are ever going to find just one bug to explain all cases of CFS,” she says.

She points to recent research from Australia finding that three very different infections result in a CFS-like condition in 12 percent of cases.

“It is quite possible that both an infectious agent and the [body’s] response to that agent act as triggers,” she says.

[erasmus6]

"CFS is a bunch of baloney." posted by drivelphobe

DRIVELPHOBE!!! I am VERY disappointed in you! A friend of my mothers had CFS. She was a very hard working woman. She had a good job that she loved and her and her husband owned some property in the states where my mom and dad also had property. She loved it there and always worked hard to keep it up. She was in no way a lazy person. Then she got CFS and she could hardly do anything. They say it even affected her hearing.

You shouldn''t form opinions like that, when you really don''t know about the disease or the people in which it affects.

[dadavis17970]

First of all I will say that I am very offended by anyone that has such a harsh opinion of CFS. I''ve suffered with it for 4 years and unlike a previous opinion I am not a lazy, smoking, junk food eating alcoholic. I am a hard working contributing member of society who works out 5-7 days a week, eats at least 8 servings of fruits and veggies, whole grains, meat and fish and does not eat refined foods. I''m a single mom who supports myself and my daughter with no help from anyone. This condition has been very debilitating to say the least. Even trying to get adequate amounts of sleep keeping a very healthy lifestyle it has been difficult to battle. I hope and pray that you disbelievers who think we are lazy bums are never unfortunate enough to be inflicted with this condition. Those of you who are fellow sufferers, you are in my prayers and thoughts and I would be more than happy to share the successes with the condition I have had with you.

[caringcounse]

I am a psychotherapist and survivor of Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I offer ''free'' website support to the community, as well as counseling through phone sessions and in person. There is an overwhelming amount of information to process through, many emotions to understand as one is trying to find the doctor, health care provider, product, medication, treatment, or alternative method to ease the symptoms and start on your healing path. I would like to help you through this maze of confusion. Contact me though my website www.caringcounselor.com or 303-413-8091
Warmly,
Pat Gurnick, CLC

[caringcounse]

I am a psychotherapist and survivor of Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I offer ''free'' website support to the community, as well as counseling through phone sessions and in person. There is an overwhelming amount of information to process through, many emotions to understand as one is trying to find the doctor, health care provider, product, medication, treatment, or alternative method to ease the symptoms and start on your healing path. I would like to help you through this maze of confusion. Contact me though my website www.caringcounselor.com or 303-413-8091
Warmly,
Pat Gurnick, CLC

[caringcounse]

I am a psychotherapist and survivor of Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I offer ''free'' website support to the community, as well as counseling through phone sessions and in person. There is an overwhelming amount of information to process through, many emotions to understand as one is trying to find the doctor, health care provider, product, medication, treatment, or alternative method to ease the symptoms and start on your healing path. I would like to help you through this maze of confusion. Contact me though my website www.caringcounselor.com or 303-413-8091
Warmly,
Pat Gurnick, CLC

[caringcounse]

I am a psychotherapist and survivor of Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I offer ''free'' website support to the community, as well as counseling through phone sessions and in person. There is an overwhelming amount of information to process through, many emotions to understand as one is trying to find the product, medication, treatment, or alternative method to ease the symptoms. I would like to help you through this maze of confusion.
Warmly,
Pat Gurnick
www.caringcounselor.com

[caringcounse]

I am a psychotherapist and survivor of Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I offer ''free'' website support to the community, as well as counseling through phone sessions and in person. There is an overwhelming amount of information to process through, many emotions to understand as one is trying to find the product, medication, treatment, or alternative method to ease the symptoms. I would like to help you through this maze of confusion.
Warmly,
Pat Gurnick
www.caringcounselor.com

[geauxp]

Try homeopathy. It may help. You don''t have to believe in it for it to work. geauxp.

[sjw1253]

Well nothingness4 - as a practicing psychiatrist - if you look good and you don''t feel good - it must be in your head...

I don''t have CFS but a very rare disease that affects my lymphatics. It is very clear that there are a lot of unknowns that make it difficult to appropriately diagnose - even in today''s great technological world.

I think you need to look at the way your patients feel when they know inside that something is wrong and painful and that there are people who want to make it a psychological issue.

I have had my disease for over 30 years and there are many doctors who don''t have a clue what it is. That does not mean that the organic abnormalities are not there. We just had a 10 year old patient die from this disease and when the doctors did an autopsy found many issues that were not seen on imaging or biopsy studies.

Instead of being so skeptical - I think you need to learn compassion and to believe people when they tell you things. I know there are people out there who do have emotional issues - but with something like CFS (which I know many patients who have this) - it is clearly a physiologic problem.

Emotional issues can arise from this - so rather than disqualifying their problems - you should be more understanding and help them deal with the emotional ramifications of having a chronic disease that is poorly defined. Learn that you have a lot to learn as their are no humans who have all the answers - no matter your degree of learning...

[petemora-2009]

Dear Drivelphobe: Your comments are absolutely hateful. If you have scientific information that CFS is not a real disease, please publicize it! There is nothing I can say that will educate you because your mind is already closed. P.S. Where did you attend medical school?

[Netterz]

As with any person or prob that doesnt follow the medical ''norm'' Some one must be faking it. I suffered a serious back and neck injury, that left me with permanent disabling nerve damage. I also have a tremedous high tolerance for pain meds. Makes me a medical weirdo, and since all the drug abusers are robbing pharmacies and street uses fo medically much needed drugs for my conditions, I play H3LL getting the meds I need to make my life even remotely bearable. Walk a day in some one elses shoes, before you go spouting off about what they feel.

[emma915]

For the love of Jesus! Here we go again! The more you read, the more confusing the whole thing gets. I''ve been diagnosed with Epstein-Barr, then Irritable Bowel Syndrome, then Fibromyalgia, then Celiac Disease; and now they''ve come up with another one with the same symptoms!!!! All I know is, ALL the symptoms are VERY REAL. Those who have them are not trying to get out of work, are not lazy bums, and are not psychotic!!! To those of you who think so, I hope you never have the opportunity to go through it yourselves. What I do know is this. Every doctor dealing with patients who have these symptoms, seems to be on a different rung of the medical research ladder. It''s time to get together, guys! By whatever name you choose to give "it", please, please, please, find a cure!!! I''ve had it for thirty years and at 61, I''d really like to have my remaining years be "normal". . . .

[everet3]

I just hope and pray that these people above never come down with any of these illnesses, They are very painful as well as make you very tired and confused as well as sick to your stomach. As well a bunch of other things. I have full blown hepatitis C, so much so that it has put me on the transplant list. But I have had doctors as well as family and strangers tell me the pain and such is all in my head, that I was just making it up.
Well I had some well known gastrointologist do test and found out it is not in my head but that I do have a medical problem. One that causes the Pian and other symtems. That hepatitis C does not cause pain. Yea right, just get it and then play doctor. There are a lot of illnesses that do cause pain, tiredness, as well as alot of other symtems.
I have a family Dr. that reads, he is constantly updating himself on things like this and he helps me get through it. He gets me trough the pain and fatigue, the throwing up, and the other problems. Like I said, get it then play doctor.

[drivelphobe]

CFS is a bunch of baloney. Thousands of phoney disability claims have been made using this diagnosis as a cause for someone''s inability to perform the duties of their occupation. People who don''t eat right, who smoke, who drink too much, who don''t get any exercise and participate in a myriad of other debilitating lifestyle habits, feel exhausted. When CFS became the popular diagnosis, every tired, lazy pos attempted get out of working by filing a claim. Give me a break. What a con. The medical profession at its finest once again trying to sell some kind of treatment and medication. Tell these people to take a nap and get to work. What a crock.

[nothingness4]

As a practicing psychiatrist who is quite familiar with this syndrome, what is often striking to me and others is that the physical findings are so incoherent with the intensity of symptoms. Often there is little or no physical findings for the severity of pain that these patients suffer. Numerous muscle biopsies and enzymes essays reveal little to no findings. As with anything that is difficult to explain, we often have reports such as this one proclaiming some significant findings. As much as I wish this report would pan out as it would make the illness highly treatable, the reality that is available makes these claims highly doubtful. Something else that this report neglects to mention are the roles of the patients'' psychological and social conditions contribute to the suffering. As most treating physicians now agree, CFS is not just a biological phenomenon but a biological, psychological and social one.