| Chronic: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a complex illness defined by unexplained disabling fatigue and a combination of non-specific accompanying symptoms. Patients must have at least 4 of following:
* memory impairment or concentration loss * sore throat * tender lymph nodes * muscle pain * multi-joint pain without selling or redness * headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity * unrefreshing sleep * post-exertional malaise lasting > 24 hours
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been a true challenge for physicians and researchers. The constellation of symptoms is rather non-specific and can be caused by a variety of diseases. The process of eliminating infectious agents continues without well explained or established causes.
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The standard of treatment has become psychotropic drugs and stimulants, but they are used with minimal effects.
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A severe flu-like illness that occurs in the majority of CFS cases suggest a viral etiology but federally funded research projects on CFS have little emphasis on viral etiology and persistence.
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It is estimated that as many as 2 million Americans are living with CFS. After 25 years, the diagnosis is still symptom based, and the causes are unknown.
The enteroviruses, especially coxsackieviruses have often been thought to have a role in the development of CFS, but different conclusions have been drawn since each study had used different criteria to select patients.
At the University of Glasgow, researchers looked for EV RNA in the muscle biopsy of well characterized PVFS patients and found that 53% of patients had specific identified EV strains, compared to only 15% of controls.
In Southern California, 165 patients underwent upper GI endoscopies and antrum biopsies. Immunological staining showed 82% of CFS patients stained positive for EV protein, as compared to only 20% of controls.
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