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MS in the Faroe Islands and the possible protective effect of early childhood exposure to the “MS agent”
Author(s) -
Cooke R. G.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1990.tb01611.x
Subject(s) - infectious agent , multiple sclerosis , medicine , infectious disease (medical specialty) , early childhood , pediatrics , disease , immunology , psychology , pathology , developmental psychology
Epidemiologic data on multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Faroe Islands have been interpreted by the original investigators as supporting a particular infectious disease model. They suggest that MS occurs as a late consequence of extended exposure to an infectious agent which cannot be transmitted to subjects younger than 11 years of age. However, the Faroes data may better fit an alternate model, in which MS results from delayed primary exposure to an infectious agent which more commonly produces benign illness and protection against MS in subjects who are exposed in infancy or early childhood.