By Amy Dockser Marcus, WSJ's Health Blog
The controversy over whether the retrovirus XMRV is linked to chronic fatigue syndrome has still not been resolved, but the American Red Cross has just weighed in. The organization said today that as a result of concerns over XMRV, it is barring people with a diagnosis of CFS from donating blood.
In a press release here, the Red Cross said that there isn’t enough data yet to determine for sure that XMRV is transmitted through blood transfusions or that it causes diseases. But “in the interest of patient and donor safety,” the organization said it was indefinitely barring blood donations from people with CFS.
HealthBlog wasn’t able to reach the Red Cross for comment, but it’s likely that a number of recent events prompted today’s announcement. Read more>>
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