‘Kissing disease’ virus may be the cause of multiple sclerosis, study says

A study carried out by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, in the United States, and published by the scientific journal Science claims to have identified the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as the possible cause of multiple sclerosis.

Considered extremely common, the virus is found in about 95% of adults and can cause pathologies such as mononucleosis, known as the “kissing disease”.

This would be the first time scientists have pinpointed the cause of an autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system. Its evolution varies greatly from one patient to another, but it can cause sequelae and even limb paralysis.

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

The hypothesis had been discussed for years, but difficult to prove considering that the first symptoms can manifest up to ten years after infection. According to Harvard professor Alberto Ascherio, author of the scientific article, this was “the first research that brings convincing proof of causality”.

“This is an important step because it suggests that most cases of MS could be prevented by stopping the Epstein-Barr virus infection,” Ascherio said in a statement.

The researcher also said that the discovery could lead to the development of a remedy for the disease, which today affects about 2.8 million people worldwide.

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

Researchers at Stanford University in the United States, who commented on the results published in the journal Science, say that other factors — genetics, for example — may play a determining role in the development or not of the disease.