Why is there renewed interest in CFS?

There has been renewed interest in CFS since 1985, when three important events occurred.

1) Dr Peter Behan in Scotland published a paper called "The postviral fatigue syndrome - an analysis of findings in 50 cases", which showed a variety of immunological, muscular and virological abnormalities in people with PVFS. The authors concluded that PVFS "is associated with disordered regulation of the immune system and persistent viral infection."

2) Dr Stephen Straus of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (USA), and Dr James Jones, then of the University of Arizona, both published papers linking the Epstein-Barr virus (which causes glandular fever) to persistent ill-health in patients who had what is now called CFS. These papers challenged the medical 'dogma' that illness after viral infections doesn't last more than six months. (Since then, it has been shown that the persistent ill-health that is characteristic of CFS is not caused by the Epstein-Barr virus).

3) The outbreak of illness at Incline Village, Nevada, and northern California reached its peak in 1985, while another outbreak occurred at Lyndonville, New York State, in the same year. Many of the people affected remained ill for extended periods of time, with what is now known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. These outbreaks attracted significant media attention in the USA, as well as the interest of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.