Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease that affects 2.8 million people worldwide. It is a central nervous system disease (CNS), in which the myelin sheath covering the brain and spinal cord neurons is attacked. If the myelin sheath is damaged, a person can suffer permanent damage to the nerves. There are a number of factors that can increase a person's risk of developing MS, such as obesity, smoking, vitamin D deficiency, certain tissue types (HLADRB1*15 : 01) and infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The latter virus can cause infectious mononucleosis, which can, in turn, result in lifelong infection in the host. To establish the relationship between MS and EBV, the author conducted a study on 1176 MS patients admitted to Saudi Arabia King Abdulaziz City centers. The researcher determined that MS occurred twice as much in females as it did in males, and also that EBV was much more widespread in MS female patients than MS male patients (27 : 1). Age was not a factor in the occurrence of EBV. There were limitations on data completeness and availability. Other trials using larger cohorts of patients are needed.