Infection with the common Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a new report from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center says.

Besides MS, the Epstein-Barr virus also raises the risk for six other disorders: systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and type 1 diabetes.

The study, “Transcription factors operate across disease loci, with EBNA2 implicated in autoimmunity,” was published in the journal Nature Genetics.

Epstein-Barr is extremely widespread. More than 90 percent of the population of the U.S. and other developed nations become infected with by age 20. The virus remains with infected people throughout their lives.

Mononucleosis is the most frequently seen ailment caused by EBV. Mono is nicknamed the “kissing disease” because the virus spreads mainly through saliva.

Previous research linked Epstein-Barr to lupus and certain cancers of the lymphatic system. Regarding the association with lupus, work by John Harley, MD, the current study’s lead author, demonstrated that the immune response to EBV may cause the disease. It also showed that children with lupus were almost always infected with the virus.

Read the full report here