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Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health logoLink to Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
. 1980 Dec;34(4):240–252. doi: 10.1136/jech.34.4.240

Multiple sclerosis in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. II: The search for an exogenous aetiology.

D C Poskanzer, J L Sheridan, L B Prenney, A M Walker
PMCID: PMC1052086  PMID: 7241023

Abstract

In Orkney and Shetland, a survey of lifetime events was undertaken in multiple sclerosis patients and two control groups to define shared exposure to an exogenous agent or environmental insult. Analyses of demographic factors, diet, social class and occupation, housing and environment, animal exposure, schooling, travel, infectious disease, and medical history disclosed a remarkable similarity in responses between patients and controls for a majority of questions. However, differences were noted for sanitation, place of residence at onset, and animal exposure. The data give additional support for an exogenous aetiology of multiple sclerosis.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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