WASHINGTON (AP) ? There’s new evidence that a virus once thought to be linked to chronic fatigue syndrome was a false alarm. A study concludes lab tests used to make that link are unreliable.
Researchers are withdrawing part of the original study that suggested the connection because a laboratory that contributed to the work discovered contamination in some of its samples.
In 2009, Nevada researchers announced they’d found a mouse-related virus in the blood of chronic fatigue patients, fueling hopes that a cause of the mysterious illness might have been found. Yet numerous other studies failed to confirm the findings.
The newest study, reported Thursday in Science, was part of government efforts to see if the virus might affect the safety of the blood supply. It concluded there’s no reason to worry.
