MS linked to virus and a lack of sunlight

MULTIPLE sclerosis (MS) may be linked to the combined effects of a viral infection and not getting enough sun, research suggests.

A study found that, together, the two factors accounted for 72 per cent of variations in MS occurrence across the UK. Levels of sunlight exposure alone explained 61 per cent of the difference between high and low rates of MS.

Previously it was known that people with a history of glandular fever, a common infectious illness caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, were more at risk of MS.

A pattern of higher incidence had also been seen in individuals whose skin was exposed to little sunlight.

"We wanted to see whether the two together would help explain the variance in the disease across the United Kingdom," said lead researcher Dr George Ebers, of Oxford University.

MS is the most common neurological condition affecting young adults in the UK.

Scotland has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, although the reasons for this remain unclear.

About 100,000 people in the UK suffer from the condition.