Uncovering the Leading Cause of Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a devastating and still poorly understood neurological condition that’s estimated to affect about 1 million people in the U.S. In January, a large team of scientists published research that appears to have confirmed the primary trigger of MS: an infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
Using meticulously maintained health records from the U.S. military, the team showed that catching EBV significantly raised the risk of later developing MS years down the road. Only a small percentage of people infected with EBV ever develop MS, so there are likely other factors that predispose people to it. But other outside experts have agreed with the team’s findings, which could point to new effective treatments or preventative measures against the debilitating ailment, such as a vaccine against EBV.
