People living in a southeast Salt Lake Valley subdivision want to know why many of their neighbors have been hit with multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

Science Specialist Ed Yeates reports from the "Top of the World" subdivision between Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons:

13-year-old Nate Rawle plays a fine guitar, but he had to give up other pastimes including karate because he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a little over a year ago. Fortunately for now, the disease has gone into remission.

((NATHON RAWLE, MS VICTIM: "I CAN'T LIKE WORK HARD, I MEAN I LIKE IF I'M RIDING AND I GET TIRED I JUST HAVE TO STOP. I CAN'T GO ANY FARTHER."))

((NANCY RAWLE, NATE'S MOTHER: "IT CAME SO FAST. I MEAN JUST SUDDENLY ONE MORNING, HE COULDN'T WRITE. HIS LEFT HAND WAS JUST DEAD, HE'S LEFT HANDED."))

Stacey Heaton was diagnosed with M-S four years ago. Like Nate whose uncle had M-S, Stacey's father had M-S. Both have a genetic prediposition for the disease. But they still question whether something triggered it in this neighborhood.

((ED YEATES, SCIENCE SPECIALIST: "NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE WHY THERE IS A CLUSTERING OF MS HERE AT TOP OF THE WORLD. SOME RESIDENTS POINT TO THE OLD MINES IN BACK OF THE HOMES, TAILINGS WHICH CONTAIN LEAD AND OTHER MINERALS."))

In addition to the seven diagnosed with M-S, Lynda Tenny is the most recent victim of another neurological disorder. It is not M-S but a cousin to it. She says her symptoms showed up after the government sprayed for gypsy moths.

((LYNDA TENNY/VICTIM: "ALL OF MY NERVE ENDINGS IN MY FEET HAVE STARTED DYING AND SO I HAVE PAIN IN MY FEET ALL THE TIME. MY FEET ARE NUMB."))

But researchers say Herpes virus number 6 which lies dormant inside the nerve tissue is more likely to trigger M-S and other neurological problems than any chemical or metal in the environment. Clusters like this, they say, are usually always an anomaly.

Both the State and the Salt Lake City/County Health Departments, will investigate this latest cluster. But they expect it's nothing more than another example of Utah's high incidence of M-S.