M.E. caused by enterovirus?

[Hip]

all these tests are very hard to get done, especially if outside the US. might just be easier to try the treatments instead, the few that currently exist anyway

That's what I did initially, because in the UK there is no way to test for chronic enterovirus infection (no antibody neutralization tests available), so I just went straight to trying the oxymatrine protocol (which unfortunately did not help in my case).

Later I found a lab in the Netherlands that had an antibody neutralization test for coxsackievirus B (which was only 110 euros, much cheaper than ARUP), and I sent by blood serum sample to them for testing. I came out as having pretty high titers (1:1024) to coxsackievirus B4. Unfortunately that lab has now stopped offering the neutralization test.

I heard that ARUP are no longer accepting blood samples from abroad (but this is unconfirmed), so this creates a big difficulty when ME/CFS patients outside the US want to test for chronic enterovirus infection.



I recently performed an extensive Google search, trying to find other labs in the world which offer coxsackievirus B or echovirus neutralization tests. I actually found several labs, and 9 days ago I emailed them, asking about the cost of the test, and whether they can accept blood samples from abroad. But so far they have been slow in replying.

If you would like to contact these labs yourself, they are the following (if you get any answers, please let me know):

PAML Lab (USA): provide neutralization testing:
Echovirus Neutralizing Assay in Serum — PAML

Interpath Labs (USA): provide neutralization testing:
COXSACKIE B VIRUS ANTIBODIES Semi-Quantitative Serum Neutralization Assay | Interpath Labs
ECHOVIRUS ANTIBODIES Semi-Quantitative Serum Neutralization Assay | Interpath Labs

Enzo Clinical Labs (USA): don't state testing method (may be neutralization, so we need to ask them):
COXSACKIE VIRUS GROUP B AB
ECHOVIRUS SERUM AB PANEL

Laboratory Alliance Of Central New York (USA): provide neutralization testing:
Coxsackie B (1-6) Virus Antibodies Semi-Quantitative Serum Neutralization
Echovirus Antibodies Semi-Quantitative Serum Neutralization

In Vitro Labs (Greece): provide neutralization testing:
Coxsackievirus B seroneutralisation

Medilab Ltd (Cyprus): don't state testing method (may be neutralization, so we need to ask them):
Enteroviruses IgG abs and Enteroviruses IgM abs

 

[jpcv]

any antiviral drug avaiable, @Hip ?

 

[Hip]

any antiviral drug avaiable, @Hip ?

You mean for coxsackievirus B and echovirus? I think ribavirin is the only official drug for enteroviruses, and Dr John Chia found this antiviral does help ME/CFS associated with chronic enterovirus infections, but the benefits quickly disappear on discontinuation of the drug. There is some info here. I am not sure why Dr Chia does not use ribavirin on a long term basis for ME/CFS; it may be due to the toxicity of this drug.

Dr Chia also finds the antiviral Epivir is effective in around 1 in 3 ME/CFS patients.

But Dr Chia's main enterovirus ME/CFS treatment is the herbal immunomodulator oxymatrine.