The only one thing that the CDC study proves is that XMRV is not in people who have ‘chronic fatigue.’
Though perhaps even this assumption is not correct given Vernon’s critique of the test tubes etc.
I have chronic fatigue (i.e total ongoing exhaustion, and as a result – often an inability to take part in sports/ work etc). I certainly do not have my partner’s disease- which includes a constellation of neurological symptoms - within weeks he went from a busy life writing a PhD at Oxford University – to not being able to read or make sense of simple paragraphs. 7 years later he is still mainly bed ridden, living with the diagnoses of ME/CFS. According to the CDC summary of their study – someone like my partner would be excluded– yet he is the living, breathing embodiment of ME/CFS – unrefreshing sleep patterns, post-exertional malaise, joint and muscle ache, painful lymph nodes, ongoing sore throat etc etc…
I strongly admire Cort – and his commitment to developing and maintaining this site – though I must disagree with one point he made in a separate thread – (apologies I cant find the quote) – I believe Cort suggested that it wasn’t advisable to be too angry that the XMRV finding vis--vis - ME/CFS only just came about – because after all – ‘XMRV’ is a relatively newly discovered retrovirus.
With HIV/AIDS – it wasn’t that scientists discovered a disease and then mapped it onto a sick population – rather - a sick population emerged – and governments throughout the world invested significant time, money, resources and man power (albeit belatedly) in going, after, and discovering a new disease. The same cannot be said for ME/CFS.
Governments on both sides of the Atlantic have paid for advice, and created leadership positions for people who believe in a psychiatric/ psychological model of ME/CFS. Wessley and Reeve’s views would not be significant – were it not for the fact that major Western governments continue to rely on, and invest in these views. Their research (involving people with chronic fatigue – as opposed to CFS) in turn further cements their positions – it is a self-perpetuating cycle – with devastating consequences.
Unless the XMRV/CFS/ME findings – originally emerging from an independent body – are found to be correct – and therefore break this viscous cycle (by confirming ME/CFS as a non-psychiatric disease) – then as things stand – the answers will not come from government-backed agencies.
In order to make real gains in ME/CFS – like the enormous gains in HIV (the field I have spent the last 10 years working in) – it would require an equivalent response whereby government- backed, scientists throughout the world work aggressively – and competitively – to find a new disease. I fear they won’t do this – as long as it is in their interests to invest in the views of Wessley and co.