THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (INC.)

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Multiple Sclerosis is often misunderstood, get the right facts on the disease, you might be surprised.

  1. MS is the most common degenerative neurological condition diagnosed in young adults.

  2. There are approximately 15,000 to 22,000 people with MS in Australia; and an estimated 2,500,000 people in the world.

  3. MS is more common in women than men; approximate ratio 3:1. Read more at MSRA.

  4. MS is more frequent in people of Caucasian background than other ethnic groups. It is less common among the Asian population and virtually unknown among Indigenous Australians, Maoris and the native people of Africa.

  5. MS is more common in temperate areas away from the equator, such as Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales and less common in warmer climates such as Queensland. The incidence of MS is six times higher in Tasmania than in Queensland.

  6. It is thought that the cause of MS is multifactorial including factors which are environmental, exposure to a virus and a genetic susceptibility.