Chronic Intrigue(ing) Syndrome

Heat is on for the chronic fatigue syndrome debate. Since a report in Science apparently revealed a break-through link of this misterious disease with XMRV, a retrovirus also linked to cancer, the field has turn into a complete turmoil. Although other research group published results that seemed to back up the first report, a multitude of scientists all over the world has begun to report negative results. Meanwhile, many CFS patients had started taking antiviral drugs, risking significant side effects. Furthermore, FDA has issued an advise for CFS patients to be barred from donating blood. Now, four studies published in Retrovirology point to possible contamination as a source of false positive results in the Science paper. However, its authors claim that the newly published evidence is not sufficient to refute their data. An ongoing study leaded bu virologist W. Ian Lipkin promises to give "definitive results", at the cost of $1.3 million.