Society Logo
ME/CFS Australia Ltd
Please click here to donate ME/CFS South Australia Inc
 
 
Facebook
 
ME/CFS SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC

Registered Charity 3104

Email:
sacfs@sacfs.asn.au

Mailing address:

PO Box 322,
Modbury North,
South Australia 5092

Phone:
1300 128 339

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday,
10am - 4pm
(phone)

ME/CFS South Australia Inc supports the needs of sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and related illnesses. We do this by providing services and information to members.

Disclaimer

ME/CFS South Australia Inc aims to keep members informed of various research projects, diets, medications, therapies, news items, etc. All communication, both verbal and written, is merely to disseminate information and not to make recommendations or directives.

Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed on this Web site are not necessarily the official views of the Society or its Committee and are not simply an endorsement of products or services.

World map of CFS and Fibromyalgia

Tuesday 22 December 2009

xmrv.me.ukPR.com reports:

xmrv.me.uk Uses Google Maps to Raise Awareness of CFS/ME & Fibromyalgia Community

"Map of Misery" goes viral - a surprise world-wide hit.

London, United Kingdom, December 16, 2009 --(PR.com)-- A map, created on Google, to help raise awareness of the plight of millions of people suffering from CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia, has become a surprise internet phenomenon.

The map was created after news broke of a link between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) and a new retrovirus called XMRV.

In little over a week the map (viewable at xmrv.me.uk's website) has had thousands of hits from people from all over the world who suffer with CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia. Around 150 a day are joining the map. The UK, USA and the Netherlands have the highest number of map entries so far. However sufferers from many other countries including Italy, France, Mexico and Australia have also plotted their location.

The map went viral shortly after its launch. Many in the CFS/ME community received information about the map from Facebook, Twitter or one of the many CFS/ME/Fibromyalgia discussion forums.

Of the Google Map xmrv.me.uk's Chris Max said: "This is a global cry for help. It's about creating a community. Seeing sufferers on a map brings home the fact these are real people in real pain, not just statistics."

According to xmrv.me.uk's spokesperson this innovative use of web 2.0 does three things: "It allows CFS and Fibromyalgia sufferers to see who in their locality is also suffering from the illness and, if we get large enough numbers, it may help spot trends or "hotspots" where the disease is most prevalent. But, most importantly, it helps sustain interest in this painful and debilitating disease."

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and Fibromyalgia (FM) are debilitating illnesses which have no cure and leave sufferers' lives in ruins. Even those with the best ability to adapt and cope often suffer from the abuse of other well-meaning people who think the ill somehow brought these illnesses upon themselves or that the illnesses don't really exist.

A new study published in the journal Science found the retrovirus XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) in 67% of patients with ME. Only 3.7% of the healthy controls studied harboured this infection. Later, the researchers reported up to 95% of patients test positive for XMRV with antibody testing.

Here's the map:


View Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia Global Map in a larger map

The article originally appeared here.

 


Arrow right

XMRV in the News

 


Arrow right

More Fibromyalgia News

 


 

blog comments powered by Disqus

Previous Previous Page