Charity seeks 1m pounds for fatigue syndrome cure
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 1M pounds bid to find a cure for chronic fatigue syndrome was launched yesterday by researchers who are convinced that the condition is caused by a virus.
The illness, believed to affect 100,000 in the United Kingdom, has reached epidemic proportions, Hugh Faulkner, director of the charity set up to raise the money, said. He stressed that the Peristent Virus Disease Research Foundation is purely for research, and not a patient-based organisation.
He said the disease was responsible for large numbers of people overwhelmed by fatigue, joint and muscle pain and loss of short-term memory and of concentration.
The illness is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome and post-viral fatigue syndrome. The researchers say that in two-thirds of cases the condition is triggered by an enterovirus, which takes hold in the gut. In sufferers, the effects of this viral infection are long-lasting - hence the charity's name.
James Mowbray, Professor of Immunopathology at St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London, and a member of the charity's research committee, said many illnesses caused fatigue syndromes that could last for days, weeks, months or years after the initial infection or acute illness. This included tuberculosis, polio, cancer, Aids-related diseases and hepatitis.
Professor Mowbray said the researchers were able to show that the effect of the virus on cells and muscle could change brain chemistry, producing the neurological symptoms of the fatigue syndrome.
The group of diseases that had the fatigue syndrome were linked with the enteroviruses in a majority of cases, he said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments