MS is not traditionally thought of as an infectious disease. So it is not typical to speak of “MS infections.” However, some infections may be associated with multiple sclerosis. Infections such as the Epstein-Barr virus and the Chlamydophila pneumoniae bacteria have been shown to play a role in exacerbating MS symptoms in some patients.

The involvement of infectious pathogens in the triggering and progression of multiple sclerosis is complex. It is this complexity, among other factors, that has made multiple sclerosis a difficult condition to understand. Years of medical research have been able to establish that MS is linked to some changes in the genes; hence, some people are said to be genetically predisposed towards developing it. At the same time, however, these MS-associated genetic changes are not necessarily passed directly from parent to child.

Then there is the fact that nobody has been able to pin down …