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At 11:33 AM 10/22/98 -0400, Bruce McCallum wrote: >I think I heard on the radio that the virus which causes MS has been >identified and that drugs that slow or halt the symptom progression have >been identified. Has anyone else heard this and can they kindly give me >details? Thanks > Bruce, et al, There was a segment on this on the Nightly News 2 or 3 days ago. Today I noticed a short piece in the Atlanta Constitution. I'm probably violating all sorts of copyright laws here, but I'll just type it in as written: Herpes virus linked to MS? The discovery of herpes in the brains of those with multiple sclerosis could lead to new treatment for a disease that affects more than 300,000 people in the United States, researchers say. The findings announced Tuesday provide circumstantial evidence that the viral infection may cause the debilitating disease. Scientists have long suspected a virus triggers MS, which prompts the immune system to attack nerve fibers, causing paralysis and in rare cases, death. Experts said more research was needed, but said they hoped the study is a step toward new treatments for MS. Human herpes virus-6 was found in the brains of eight of 11 MS patients studied by scientists at the Institute for Viral Pathogenesis in Milwaukee. The virus was also found in the blood of 14 of 25 patients. I'm sure more detail can be found by our expert Web surfers here. Jane Koenig daughter of Fred (81/1) Marietta, GA