[Virology] retrovirus

[Marianne Gutierrez]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have been hearing recently that it is a retrovirus that maybe the  
cause of ME/CFS.

Abstract:

In today's issue of Science Express, researchers at the Whittemore- 
Peterson Institute (WPI), the Cleveland Clinic and the National Cancer  
Institute report that 67% of 101 chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)  
patients tested positive for infection with xenobiotic murine  
retrovirus (XMRV), a gammaretrovirus associated with a subset of  
prostate cancer. Only 3.7% of 218 healthy subjects tested were  
positive for the virus. Read the joint press release issued at 2:00pm  
today.

Can you tell me:

Are all retrovirii contagious?

Is the XMRV xenobiotic murine retrovirus contagious?

I found this link: http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/virology/1995-December/005003.html 
  which was helpful in explaining what a retrovirus is.

How is a retrovirus contracted, with emphasis on the contagious nature  
of the XMRV?

Thank you very much for your help.

Yours sincerely

Marianne Gutierrez NAMMT, MICHT
www.mariannegutierrez.com