Around 80,000 people in Austria are currently living with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), according to Vienna’s Mayor, Michael Ludwig.
Speaking at the launch of a research initiative at the Vienna Science, Research and Technology Fund (WWTF), Ludwig highlighted that while the illness has gained more attention during and after the Covid pandemic, it has been a problem for much longer. “It was under the radar of public discussion for a long time,” he stressed.
Several research projects into the condition are now receiving financial support in Vienna, funded by the WWTF and private contributors.
The City of Vienna is also backing the effort, adding to funding from the WE&ME Foundation, which was set up by the Ströck bakery family and focuses on this area of research. A total of €700,000 is being made available for the projects.
Research will focus on identifying the causes of the disease, potential genetic factors, and possible biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy. The majority of these studies will take place at the Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna), with some collaboration from the Technical University. The research is expected to begin in 2025, with further funding planned for future stages.
Oswald Wagner, Vice-Rector of the Medical University, spoke on Tuesday about the complexity of the illness, which can cause muscle and joint pain and lead to extreme exhaustion. He acknowledged that those suffering from ME/CFS often face stigma. “Unfortunately, there is a certain stigmatisation of people,” Wagner remarked.
Wagner also pointed out that the number of affected individuals has more than doubled since the pandemic.
“This is a catastrophe for the patients,” said immunologist Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber, who is involved in two of the funded projects. As one of the heads of the National Reference Centre for Postviral Syndromes at MedUni Vienna, she explained that one key goal is to understand how and why the immune response in ME/CFS and Long-Covid patients differs so dramatically from that of healthy individuals.
