First email was posted on the Co-Cure list
(announcements for the CFS/ME and FM community) via permission from Dr. B.
“I just returned from the first official scientific symposium of the Whittemore-Peterson Institute on the topic of XMRV. We formed a working group to be in constant touch and we plan to meet regularly because advances are coming so rapidly. Big news that everyone should know and adopt is that we have proposed a name change for the virus.
This virus is a human, not mouse virus, and it is the first and so far only gamma-retrovirus known to infect people. Also, it is clearly not an “endogenous” retrovirus (one that is present in all genomes due to ancient infection).
Because of all of this, and because of the desire to begin on the right track, the new name of the virus is HGRV- Human Gamma Retro Virus. The illness caused by this infection is named HGRAD- Human Gamma Retrovirus Associated Disease.
We plan to announce this at the upcoming NIH retroviral conference this September.
Definitely stay tuned- the volume of new and important information about this virus and its disease associations is increasing rapidly and in my opinion should be a concern to every patient with chronic neuro-immune diseases, including those with chronic Lyme.”
Second email:
Hello!
Thanks for letting me know there is a buzz about this going on.
I am not part of the WPI (Whittemore Peterson Institute) but I do have an interest in HGRV (formerly known as XMRV) because I strongly believe it is an important contributor to what we know as chronic Lyme. I also believe it is involved in some way with autism and CFIDS, and possibly other so-called “neuroimmune diseases”.
What is needed to further the study of HGRV is to set up clinical trials, because so far, all formal work on this virus is being done in the labs. To accomplish this, we are in the process of setting up a clinical working group, to consist of an alliance between researchers and clinicians. I was invited to join this group- of course, I accepted.
That is the scoop- please feel free to forward this note to any interested parties.
Thanks!
Dr. B…………………….!
Research Assistant to Dr. Burrascano, MD
Madison Area Lyme Support Group 