Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus as a Case Study: Using a Precautionary Risk Management Approach for Emerging Blood-Borne Pathogens in Canada

In October 2009 it was reported that 68 of 101 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

in the United States, when tested, were infected with a novel gamma retrovirus, xenotropic

murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) (Lombardi et al., 2009). XMRV is a recently

discovered human gammaretrovirus first described in prostate cancers that shares

significant homology with murine leukemia vir…