Researchers say Epstein-Barr-Virus is a main cause of MS, which affects 2.8 million people worldwide. New treatments and prevention may now be possible.
Summary
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable condition — an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system, the brain and spinal cord.
- The link between Epstein-Barr-Virus and MSIn a study conducted in the United States, researchers say they found that the Epstein-Barr-Virus (EBV) was definitely associated with all but one of 801 cases of multiple sclerosis.
- The researchers analyzed blood samples from more than 10 million US military employees and identified 801 people with multiple sclerosis.
- Watch video 02:29 Multiple sclerosis study may be turning pointThe most important indicator appears to be that those people who had initially tested negative for EBV antibodies also tested negative for multiple sclerosis at the time of the blood sample.
- Symptoms for multiple sclerosis can differ from person to person.