This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

It has long been suggested that EBV may be a trigger for MS. However, some 95% of adults are exposed to the virus so it is difficult to come up with a definitive answer. The following research covers children with MS and shows that children exposed to EBV are much more likely to develop MS. I had glandular fever (EBV) at 16 and was diagnosed with MS at 39. I recently saw a senior MS researcher at the Institute of Neurology in London and when I mentioned glandular fever he stated that the vast majority of people he sees with MS have had glandular fever. The evidence appears to be indicating that EBV plays a key role in MS - if only the researchers could find out what!

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MS ... sage/20799

Apologies - I didn't see that the paper was over a year old. It was posted on another site today so I thought it was recent

I agree as well I have always been a believer that EBV has a connection to MS. I devloped Glandular Fever (EBV) at 16 and was diagnosed with MS at 25, I was pretty sick with it in hospital 10 days with complications i.e enlarged liver and chest infection. My blood count was really low and I have always wondered whether if the fact that if the blood count gets too low and then is restored that the immune system has some sort of defect in it. Bit like the opposite with the chemo theapy some people try for their ms breaking their immune system down and when its restored they don't generally suffer from MS anymore. Just a thought. I am sure most peole with MS have been sick from something in their life I was a sickly child so maybe I picked up/developed something then?

I have seen research off and on about EBV and the connection.

Jill