An Accurate Test for Epstein Barr Virus?
As I've written in the past, I don't consider testing for the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) to be a reliable way to determine if EBV — which worsens fatigue in CFS/FM — has been reactivated, as most healthy people test positive for EBV.
But here's an interesting finding from a new study: researchers used a new test to detect an antibody for EBV that was negative in healthy people, but positive in most people with CFS who had a reactivation of EBV. In other words, it was an accurate test!
The test isn't on the market yet, but the authors plan to make it available in the future. Though the study only including a specially selected group of 6 CFS patients, this is one more piece of hopeful news. Soon there may be a reliable test for determining which CFS/FM patients will actually benefit from treating for EBV.
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.
