Study says the “kissing disease” virus may be the cause of multiple sclerosis

A study conducted by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health in the United States and published Science He says he has identified Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as the likely cause of hardening multiple.

The virus is very common, it is found in about 95% of adults and can cause diseases such as mononucleoseKnown as the “kissing disease”.

This will be the first time that scientists have identified the cause of an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system. your evolution vFrom one patient to another, but it can cause sequelae and even paralysis of the limbs.

The study revealed that the Epstein-Barr virus plays a major role in the development of multiple sclerosis, although not all people with it develop pathology.

The hypothesis has been debated for years, but it is difficult to prove given that the first symptoms can appear up to ten years after infection. According to Harvard University professor Alberto Acchirio, author of the scientific article, this was “the first research to provide convincing evidence of causation.”

“This is an important step because it indicates that most cases of multiple sclerosis can be prevented by stopping infection with the Epstein-Barr virus,” Ashrio said in a statement.

The researcher also said that this discovery could lead to the development of a treatment for the disease that today affects about 2.8 million people around the world.

The study followed 10 million young men in the US military for more than two decades, 955 of whom were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while on duty. According to research, the risk of developing multiple sclerosis increases 32 times after infection with the Epstein-Barr virus.

Researchers at Stanford University in the US, who commented on the findings published in the journal Science, say that other factors – genes, for example – may or may not play a decisive role in the development of the disease.