Epstein-Barr Virus May Be Leading Cause of Multiple Sclerosis

Harvard's School of Public Health has an announcement... "Multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive disease that affects 2.8 million people worldwide and for which there is no definitive cure, is likely caused by infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers."

Some forms of cancer have been linked to the virus. According to the New York Times, new research shows that a virus that almost all of us have is related to multiplesclerosis. Military recruits are screened for H.I.V. when they start their service, and then again every two years. The Department of Defense has a repository for blood samples that can be retested for other diseases. The researchers identified cases of M.S. among military personnel. They tested their first, last, and final samples. The risk of M.S. is virtually zero if you are not exposed to E.B.V. That was the strongest evidence yet that the M.S. is initiated. Robinson and colleagues published a paper in Nature that showed how the virus can cause disease in some people. When the immune system attacks the virus, it also attacks the myelin sheath, which is the insulation around your neurons. Cohen thinks the study proves that the virus is a necessary precondition for M. Even if we don't understand why the virus behaves as it does, the discovery that it is necessary for M.S. raises the possibility that a vaccine could prevent that disease and other serious conditions.

Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader Thelasko for sharing the news!