The UK Blood Services have a Joint Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC) which collates advice from standing committees of experts on blood transfusion medicine and practice. The committee members are employed by the UK and Irish blood services, the Health Protection Agency (HPA), and universities and hospitals throughout the UK. JPAC commissions risk assessments and makes recommendations on exclusion and deferral criteria for blood donors in the light of the advice of these committees.

In November 2009 the UK Blood Services Standing Advisory Committee on Transfusion Transmitted Infections (SACTTI) submitted a risk assessment to JPAC regarding XMRV. A list of the research which informed that risk assessment is shown at the end of this e-mail. Whilst there was not considered to be any evidence to change donor selection criteria in the UK on patient safety grounds, the committee agreed to continue monitoring and reviewing new evidence.

Since the submission of that risk assessment a number of new pieces of research on murine related viruses (MLV) and XMRV have been reviewed by SACTTI. In October 2010 the committee examined the paper you referenced, Detection of MLV-related virus gene sequences in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy blood donors (Lo et al, 2010) which reported evidence of MLV-related virus gene sequences in 86% of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients compared to 6% of healthy controls; as well as two other papers that failed to show evidence of XMRV in ME/CFS patients in the USA and China. The Lo et al paper specifically commented that the MLV-related virus gene sequences which they detected were not XMRV, and represented a broader group of MLV-related viruses than just XMRV. The committee noted that currently there are more published papers with negative than positive associations between XMRV/MLVs and ME/CFS, and none using UK samples. However, relevant new research will continue to be reviewed.

The Department of Health's independent Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) and the National Expert Panel on New and Emerging Infections (NEPNEI) also monitor developments which are relevant to blood safety, both nationally and internationally, in conjunction with the UK Blood Services and the HPA. An expert subgroup of NEPNEI met in May 2010, and considered all available data about XMRV. The subgroup concluded that XMRV can infect humans but there is currently no evidence that it causes human disease, and that on the evidence before the group no public health action is required at this time. On the basis of current evidence SaBTO also does not recommend further measures at present, but wishes to continue monitoring the situation.

With regard to your question about organ donation, at present people with ME/CFS can be considered as potential organ donors. This policy will also be kept under review in the context of new evidence.