I have received a compelling announcement regarding XMRV, and an official blood donation ban has been put in place for ME/CFS patients in Canada.
Please see:
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/new...n-blood-service-to-ban-chronic-fatigue-donors
Obviously this is the first country to announce specifically, that ME patients would be deferred from giving blood. It is a huge public move, and highlights the potential seriousness of the situation. One thing to bare in mind is, I am unaware whether XMRV has been proven prevalent in Canada, and yet I know of numerous people here in the UK whom are XMRV+.
It does state at the end of the piece: An estimated 340,000 Canadians are diagnosed with chronic fatigue. But Devine says most would be too ill to give blood already and there is little chance the current supply has been contaminated.
Here is a inconsistency, and a worrying one. Most ME patients remain undiagnosed for years, particularly in the early stages of the diseases. I was misdiagnosed with Colitis, prior to it being confirmed ME in 2008. Looking back, I could have been carrying ME for over a decade, of which I would have had ample time to donate. I do know of people in this scenario whom have donated before they have received their ME diagnosis, and they are obviously worried that they have contaminated the UK blood supply.
Just based upon the laws of averages, it is highly unlikely that the UK, or any other country's blood supply, have avoided the XMRV virus. This virus has only so far been successfully discovered in the US and Japan. The UK have been unable to locate the virus. So if the UK researchers cannot locate it, it is highly likely that the UK blood supply may have inadvertently missed it. We all understand the concerns haemophiliacs have been having in contacting HIV and hepatitis over the last 30 years, and I would be very surprised if XMRV has infected no one by transfusion, or even transplantation.
I believe Canada has set a precedent, and this is something the UK should now follow, as well as other civilized countries. Caution is the best form of defence, and even though XMRV may have been infecting the blood supply for years, being privy to the knowledge that it is a potential threat, should enable the UK Blood Supply to finally make an official announcement.
The US is worried about it, as you can see here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303450704575160081295988608.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Thank you for taking your time to read my post, and I hope it is in the best interests of the UK's blood supply.