The association of multiple sclerosis with domestic animals and household pets

Sylwester, David; Poser, Charles M.

doi:10.1002/ana.410050220

Cited by 17 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…A similar situation occurred in Spain [96,97], but later studies failed to confirm the association between MS and contact with dogs or the canine distemper virus [98][99][100].…”

Section: Infectious Agentsmentioning

confidence: 70%

Microbes, Immunity and Multiple Sclerosis

Fernández¹,

Papais-Alvarenga²,

Fernández

et al. 2011

CIR

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be considered a disease that appears in genetically predisposed persons who, by chance, are also affected by some unknown environmental factor, probably infectious, that sets in motion an abnormal immune response leading to an autoimmune disease. Infectious agents are involved in the appearance of autoreactive T cells against myelin via various mechanisms, such as molecular mimetism or acting as superantigens. Numerous possible microorganisms have been suggested, including bacteria like Chlamydophila pneumoniae and many viruses, e.g., canine distemper virus, measles, varicella zoster, human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The association with EBV is the best studied over recent years. The frequency (incidence and prevalence) of MS seems to be increasing, which is better explained by the effect of some environmental factor. In this study we analyze some of the infectious agents that have been associated with the disease and discuss the hygiene hypothesis, which is one of the possible explanations for the epidemiological changes reported over recent decades.

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“…A similar situation occurred in Spain [96,97], but later studies failed to confirm the association between MS and contact with dogs or the canine distemper virus [98][99][100].…”

Section: Infectious Agentsmentioning

confidence: 70%

Microbes, Immunity and Multiple Sclerosis

Fernández¹,

Papais-Alvarenga²,

Fernández

et al. 2011

CIR

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“…Sheep-breeding is rather un-common in the area. Thus, previous speculations about a correlation between MS and agriculture (3, 28) or animal husbandry (40,41) cannot be confirmed. Equally, no relation was found between MS and industrial activity as discussed by others (14).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Epidemiological investigations into multiple sclerosis in Southern Hesse I.

Lauer

Firnhaber

Reining

et al. 2009

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica

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An epidemiological field-survey on multiple sclerosis (MS) was carried out in the southern part of the state of Hesse (West Germany). Out of 472 patients primarily ascertained, 75% could finally be accepted as definite or probable MS cases. Cross-checking of the 3 sources for casefinding (practitioners and specialists, neurological hospital, MS society) revealed that case-finding in all and especially that of definite and probable

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“…recent reports has, however, been toward no association with MS (Alter et al 1979, Bunnell et al 1979, Sylvester & Poser 1979.…”

mentioning

confidence: 88%

Dogs, distemper, and multiple sclerosis in the United States

Kurtzke

Priester

2009

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica

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Geographic distribution of multiple sclerosis (MS) was defined by case/ control ratios for state of pre-illness residence for US white male veterans "service-connected" for MS. The Veterinary Medical Data Program of the National Cancer Institute receives diagnostic information from most of the university veterinary medical centers in the US (and Canada). The Center for Disease Control had carried out a 2-year surveillance, program for human bites by animals. State distributions for MS were compared with those for the proportion of admissions for canine distemper (CD), the ratio of CD cases to the human papulatim, and human bites by dogs per unit of population. There was no evidence that any of the CD risk indices was positively correlated with that for MS. These results suggest that CD, exposure to dogs, or dog bites are unlikely to be involved in the etiology of MS.

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The association of multiple sclerosis with domestic animals and household pets

Cited by 17 publications

References 5 publications

Microbes, Immunity and Multiple Sclerosis

Microbes, Immunity and Multiple Sclerosis

Epidemiological investigations into multiple sclerosis in Southern Hesse I.

Dogs, distemper, and multiple sclerosis in the United States

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