Health experts warn 'common' virus in UK could increase risk of multiple sclerosis

A common and widespread virus may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to scientists.The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), which causes symptoms such as a fever and sore throat, is also known for causing glandular fever.

And according to the Multiple Sclerosis Trust, 95 percent of us have already been exposed to it. You might not have noticed any symptoms, unless you were eventually diagnosed with glandular fever, the Mirror reports.

A spokesperson from the charity explained: ""Having had EBV infection or glandular fever doesn’t mean you will get MS. "However, modern detection methods show that practically everyone with MS has previously had EBV infection." Referring to American research, the Trust noted: "Scientists in the US tracked people who gave repeated blood samples over several years, so they could see when they had been infected with EBV."They showed that the risk of developing MS was much higher after EBV infection had taken place."Dr Olivia Thomas, a scientist at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, said: "MS is an incredibly complex disease, but our study provides an important piece in the puzzle and could explain why some people develop the disease."We have discovered that antibodies against EBV, which normally fight the infection, can mistakenly target the brain and spinal cord and cause damage."Blood samples were taken from 700 people with MS and 700 healthy individuals.

Scientist discovered that antibodies that bind to an EBV protein, EBNA1, can also attach to a similar protein in the brain and spinal cord called CRYAB - known as a 'protein coding' gene.