Further Evidence Links Epstein-Barr Virus and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis

[steven johnson]

The cause of multiple sclerosis has long been controversial and this viral correlation is an important first step in looking at controlling the cause and pathogenesis.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 5, 2010) — Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and a team of collaborators have observed for the first time that the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) increases by many folds following infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This finding implicates EBV as a contributory cause to multiple sclerosis.

MS is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Women are more likely than men to get the disease and it is the most common neurologically disabling disease in young adults. Although genetic predisposition plays an important role in determining susceptibility, past studies have shown that environmental factors are equally important.

MS is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Women are more likely than men to get the disease and it is the most common neurologically disabling disease in young adults. Although genetic predisposition plays an important role in determining susceptibility, past studies have shown that environmental factors are equally important.

"The observation that MS occurred only after EBV is a big step forward," said Alberto Ascherio. "Until now we knew that virtually all MS patients are infected with EBV, but we could not exclude two non-causal explanations for this finding: that EBV infection is a consequence rather than a cause of MS, and that individuals who are EBV negative could be genetically resistant to MS. Both of these explanations are inconsistent with the present findings," said Ascherio.

Further Evidence Links Epstein-Barr Virus and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis

[MineralMan]

1. Very interesting. I assume that work will be done now on

a vaccine for EBV. That would seem to make good sense. In the past, it hasn't been considered an illness serious enough to warrant vaccine research. This would seem to argue for vaccine development.

Wouldn't that be just the greatest thing? Eliminating MS through a vaccine? Hell yes!

Of course, we wouldn't put any thimerisol in that vaccine...

[tavalon]

7. Correct on all counts

I wonder about the viral/environmental connection to many autoimmune disorders. I have asthma, celiac, fibromyalgia like symptoms and hypothyroidism. It seems like I'm a train wreck but each of those is a variant of autoimmune issues.

Because my child suffered a catastrophic response to his DPT and MMR, I'm often labeled an anti-vaccer. That couldn't be farther from the truth. I think we would do well to be more judicious and a bit slower with the vaccine bandwagon, but vaccines are and can be, carefully chosen, true lifesavers.

[lib2DaBone]

2. I have said that for years.. and I am not a medical professional..

I would also like to see reasearch into Ebstein Barr vs Fibromyalgia.

Also, research into PTSD vs Fibrmyalia.

[mopinko]

3. lean toward the virus theory myself.

my sister has it, and her MIL came down with it at about the same time. they had lived in the same house a couple of years before that. seemed obvious that there might have been something they shared.

[Mojorabbit]

5. I have it and two

of my friends have also been diagnosed with it. The odds of that seem pretty great if one holds to conventional theories.

[1776Forever]

4. Thank you for posting.

Glad to see research on this is being done. Can't come soon enough for those with MS and their loved ones who care for them.

[diane in sf]

6. It's also associated with low sun light areas like Canada, Europe, the northern states

so vitamin D may help prevent MS or make it progress more slowly.