Test hope for chronic fatigue sufferers

A blood test for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) could be on the cards after scientists identified the first known biomarker for the condition.

The test, which is still under development, measures the way immune cells respond to stress.

According to Us-led researchers, it offers definitive proof that the illness is real and not imaginary.

CFS, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), causes feelings of extreme tiredness often combined with flu-like symptoms and joint pains.

An estimated 250,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition, with some affected so badly they cannot work or carry out everyday tasks without help.

Yet because the causes of CFS are largely unknown, it is often perceived as being “in the mind”.