Scientists have long suspected a virus triggers MS, which prompts the immune system to attack nerve fibers, causing paralysis and death. If further study confirms the virus as the cause, the finding could lead to new treatments for a disease that affects more than 300,000 people in the United States. The study was presented Tuesday at conference of the American Neurological Association in Montreal. Past studies have been unable to confirm that, he said. It would be nice if this were true.
More study needs to be done.
People often carry the herpes virus-6 and many other types of viruses and bacteria, and MS may have multiple causes, he said.