CDC diverts millions slated for chronic-fatigue research

[Guest guest]

(Unless the CDC already knows what causes CFIDS and doesn't want us to know,

I can think of numerous projects out there that should be pursued. This

disease must be costing our nation billions in lost productivity alone - it

is past time to find a cure)

National/World News : Tuesday, July 06, 1999

CDC diverts millions slated for chronic-fatigue research

by Mays

The Associated Press

ATLANTA - Congress, responding to thousands of citizen appeals, set aside

$22.7 million to study chronic-fatigue syndrome (CFS). Federal researchers

assured lawmakers they would investigate the disease, then used millions to

study other illnesses.

At least $8.8 million, 39 percent of the money earmarked for CFS, was spent

on other research, including measles and polio. Government auditors say they

cannot determine what happened to an additional $4.1 million.

Patients diagnosed with CFS say they become so tired they can't perform even

the simplest tasks.

The symptoms of CFS - muscle and joint pain, headaches and memory loss - are

difficult to measure, and attempts to pinpoint its cause have failed.

The CDC's alleged misappropriation of money came to light last year when a

researcher in the department assigned to CFS blew the whistle. An audit

released May 10 by the inspector general for the Department of Health and

Human Services confirmed his allegations.

" CDC officials provided inaccurate and potentially misleading information to

Congress concerning the scope and cost of CFS research activities, " the

audit says.

Although the CDC was not legally prohibited from using CFS funds elsewhere,

agencies tend to follow Congress' recommendations to avoid offending the

lawmakers who control their budgets.

In his complaint to Congress, Dr. Reeves, a branch chief in the

CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases, accused Dr. Broome,

then-acting CDC director, of providing false information to Congress when

she testified that part of the 1996 CFS research money was spent on a new

laboratory in Reeves' department. No such laboratory was built.

Reeves also said the division director, Dr. Mahy, transferred money

from the CFS program to research he deemed more important. Mahy has refused

to comment.

Rep. Porter, R-Ill., chairman of the subcommittee that handles the CDC

budget, said the problem is not that chronic-fatigue money was used for

other research, but that CDC officials lied about it.

" I have no problem if they had come back to us and said look, they don't

think there is any good research we can follow here, this is not good use of

the money, " he said.