Toxin found in sheep linked to getting MS

LONDON — Exposure to a toxin primarily found in sheep could trigger multiple sclerosis, a study has suggested.

More than 100,000 people in Britain have been diagnosed with MS, which occurs when the immune system attacks the protective coating surrounding nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

The condition leads to inflammation, pain, disability and in severe cases, early death, but experts still do not know the underlying cause. Now researchers at the University of Exeter have discovered that nearly half of the MS sufferers that they studied had been infected at some time in their lives by epsilon toxin. The toxin is produced in the gut of sheep and is also found in the soil.

Researchers looked at 250 people, half of whom had MS, and found 43 per cent of MS patients were carrying antibodies to epsilon toxin, proving it had been in the body long enough for the immune system to produce a response. Just 16 per cent of people without MS had been exposed.

“Our research suggests that there is a link between epsilon toxin and MS,” said Professor Rick Titball of the University of Exeter.

“The causes of MS are still not fully understood and, while it’s possible that this toxin plays a role, it’s too early to say for certain. More research is now needed.”

MS was first recognized in the 1860s and it has long been established it is more common in northern, less sunny climates, giving rise to theories the condition could be triggered by a lack of Vitamin D.

But MS is also more common in latitudes and countries where sheep populations are high. The researchers say people could become infected from being near sheep, and the bacteria can produce spores meaning it can travel in the air. It is unlikely to be caught by eating lamb.