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Discovering the vital link

Infection due to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, reveals recent research. Multiple sclerosis is an incurable disease in which the tissues around the nerves come under attack from the body's own immune system. Researchers at Boston-based Harvard School of Public Health analysed more than 238,371 women, and found that 18 of them were suffering from MS and had a higher number of more antibodies against EBVin their blood even before the disease could be diagnosed (www.moreover.com, December 26, 2001).

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