Multiple sclerosis etiology--an Epstein-Barr virus hypothesis.

The opinion has been expressed frequently in the literature that MS is caused by a combination of an environmental agent and genetic factors, possibly with an autoimmune component. However, the specific environmental agent has not as yet been identified. This paper describes cumulative circumstantial evidence which strongly points to a post-pubertal primary Epstein-Barr virus infection as this unidentified etiological event in the induction of MS disease.