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SIR, Although recent studies have demonstrated a clear association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection with multiple sclerosis (Zaadstra et al., 2008; Lunemann and Munz, 2009; Salvetti et al., 2009), there has been much debate if and where the virus acts in the pathogenic cascade of multiple sclerosis and whether the virus needs to gain entry to the central nervous system (CNS). A recent study reported in Brain by Willis et al.(2009) showed that there is little evidence for the presence of EBV in the central nervous system of people with multiple sclerosis. These findings contrast greatly with the studies by Serafini et al.(2007) that have described abundant EBV positive cells in multiple sclerosis, and the presence of ectopic B cell follicles enriched with EBV infected cells in some patients. Willis and co-workers used a variety of validated methods to determine the presence of EBV in the CNS of patients with B cell …