By Sabriya Rice

The specter of superbugs spreading through U.S. hospitals has public health experts debating what hospitals should do to deal with such outbreaks. An incident last year in Park Ridge, Ill., may point the way to one approach that could help, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some 2.5 million people around the world have multiple sclerosis (MS), a potentially debilitating disease in which the body’s immune system destroys the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerves.

This damage interferes with the communication between the brain, spinal cord and other parts of the body, causing symptoms that can range from a mild weakness to an inability to walk or speak clearly. There is no cure for MS, but there are some preliminary data showing that Vitamin D, retinoic acid or Vitamin A, may help alleviate these symptoms.