The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today that it is launching a study to learn about an unexplained condition that causes people to feel as if they have foreign substances growing from their bodies.
People with the condition, referred to as Morgellons disease, say they have fibers and other inorganic material growing out of their skin.
“We earnestly want to learn more about this unexplained illness, which affects the lives of those who suffer from it,” said Dr. Michele Pearson, principal investigator leading the study for the CDC, in a press release. “Those who suffer have questions, and we want to help them.”
“We have a team of epidemiologists, laboratorians and pathologists to carry out the study,” Pearson said.
The study will be conducted in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Division of Research. For more information, CLICK HERE to visit the CDC’s Unexplained Dermopathy Web site.
In 2006, a number of Morgellons sufferers told ABC News in interviews that when they consulted doctors, they received diagnoses they called wrong or dismissive. Brandi Koch, the wife of former Major League Baseball player Billy Koch, said that she felt as if she were living in a horror movie, claiming she had colored fibers coming out of her skin.
Koch, of Clearwater Beach, Fla., said that her life was good until one day in the shower when she noticed something strange — tiny fibers running through her skin.
“The fibers look like hair, and they’re different colors,” Koch said.
Koch said she knows that what she experienced “sounds crazy,” but it’s true. “If I had a family member call me up and say, ‘I have this stuff,’ I’d say, ‘I’m sending a straitjacket over. You need some help,'” she said.
Anne Dill described a similar condition. Looking at Dill’s life in Florida, she seemed to be living the American dream — her three daughters excelled in sports and were straight-A students.
But life in the Dill household was far from idyllic. Anne’s 40-year-old husband, Tom, died in January 2006, and she believes his death was due to a contagious illness that has infected her entire family.
Dill described her family’s skin: “There’s this fibrous material. It’s in layers.” Dill said the skin on their hands was particularly bad, very swollen and itchy, and said it felt as if bugs were crawling underneath the skin.
Consulting Doctors
Dr. Greg Smith of Gainesville, Ga., has been a pediatrician for the past 30 years. He claimed that a fiber was coming out of his big toe, and he had video footage to prove it.
“It felt like somebody stuck a pin in my toe and wiggled it, and it just continued to hurt,” Smith told ABC News in 2006.
He said he never thought he had bugs. “I’ve certainly had those crawling sensations, and the fibers which come out of the skin are really bizarre, and really odd.”
Smith was handed over to a hospital psychiatrist when he went to the emergency room complaining of a fiber in his eye. He admits that he, too, would be skeptical if a patient came to him with the same story.
“I would wonder if they’d taken their medicine that day. It makes no sense. It’s totally bizarre. It’s something that — just telling the story is so outlandish on the face of it — that no one would believe it,” Smith said. Dill’s doctor told her to stop scratching, even though many of her sores were in places she could not reach.
Koch went to the Mayo Clinic, where doctors didn’t believe that the fibers she’d brought them had grown from her body.
“I saw the infectious disease doctor, and I showed him some samples that I had and he snickered,” she said. “I can’t go through another doctor blowing me off or looking at me like I’m crazy. I know I’m not.”
Dr. Vincent DeLeo, chief of dermatology at New York’s St. Lukes-Roosevelt Medical Center, weighed in on what he’d say to someone who came to him with this condition. “I don’t think this is any different than many patients I’ve seen who have excoriations and believe that there is something in their skin causing this,” he told ABC News in 2006.
DeLeo said the open lesions were most likely a result of scratching the skin.
Relying on Your Own Research
But biologist Mary Leitao refused to accept the medical skepticism surrounding Morgellons.
Leitao’s son, Drew, was just 2 years old when Leitao noticed an odd sore on his lip that would not heal.
“He very simply said ‘bugs,’ and he pointed to his lips,” said Leitao.
Leitao never expected to find herself at the center of a medical storm. But when her son complained about the strange sore, the biologist, who once ran the electron microscope at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, did what any scientist would do. She took a closer look.
“What I saw were bundles of fibers, *** of fibers,” Leitao says. “There was red and blue.” Even stranger, they glowed under ultraviolet light.
Armed with research, Leitao took her son to a doctor at one of the country’s leading hospitals. He dismissed her tale of fibers and wrote to her pediatrician, saying that her son needed Vaseline for his lips and that his mother needed a thorough psychiatric evaluation.
Undaunted, Leitao began poring through medical literature looking for clues. What she discovered was a 17th-century reference to a strange disease with “harsh hairs” called “Morgellons.”
She named the strange fibers Morgellons disease and put the information on a Web site, Morgellons.org. At the time of her interview in 2006, more than 4,500 people had contacted Leitao, claiming they had Morgellons-type symptoms. The name stuck, and the disease was featured on the television show “ER.”
But do these fibers grow from inside the body, as Morgellons patients believe, or do they come from the external environment — a kind of lint — as the medical skeptics say?
Searching for an Answer
Forensic scientist Ron Pogue at the Tulsa Police Crime Lab in Oklahoma checked a Morgellons sample against known fibers in the FBI’s national database. “No, no match at all. So this is some strange stuff,” Pogue said in 2006. He thought the skeptics were wrong. “This isn’t lint. This is not a commercial fiber. It’s not.”
The lab’s director, Mark Boese, said the fibers are “consistent with something that the body may be producing.” He added that, “These fibers cannot be manmade and do not come from a plant. This could be a byproduct of a biological organism.”
Dill said she looks at pictures of her family and finds them unrecognizable. “My kids have to see not only their dad but their mom disintegrating, and that’s gotta be really scary.”
While they wait for evidence that they hope will convince the medical community to take them seriously, some Morgellon’s sufferers wear pink bracelets that say, simply, “Fortitude.”
Pictures of Morgellons Disea
Pictures can be viewed at the following location: Morgellon’s Disease Pictures
Hope you enjoyed the story and pictures of Morgellons Disease
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/morgellons_congress_cdc/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=system&utm_campaign=Send%2Bto%2BFriend
reading this board scares the hell out of me. I’ve seen a lot of mention of possible secondary symptoms. Those of which I’ve been plagued with for 20 years. Fibromialgia, insmonia, IBS, brain and memory fog, fatigue, leading to depression and suicidal thoughts, anxiety and panic attacks, even nueropathy. Then the main symptoms most described. I’ve had no major leisons, although my scalp has never stopped itching, never. Itching comes and goes on the rest of the body. I tried some of the treatments for symptoms suggested, and I was horrified..there were so many things that came out, mostly specks and a few worms. I never knew that there might be a reason to never stop itching as that was never a major symptom. I’ve had odd raised red sections come and go, and no clue of causes, and none of them the same. For those who have the doctors telling them that it is in thier head and not real.. do not be too harsh on these doctors. They are a product of how medicine is conducted today, and there generally isn’t room for doctors who don’t go with whats accepted. I’ve been through hell being told it is in my head when now it’s been proven it isnt. Don’t decry all doctors, I eventually found one who was an actual doctor, who would take what was there and learn from it. Also, make sure the doctors can see it first hand, insist on it.
As some others, only symptoms are being treated, pain pills, different creams and baths, and anxiety calming medicines. I’ll continue to try new things, but so far none has worked for long, it all just covers it up.
I am a retired clinical chemist. Since May 2011, my daughter and my wife have both been inflicted with leisions caused by Springtails. The house was thoroughly treated, both interior and exterior by a licensed pest control company including the use of Bifinthrin. But the springtail seems to persist. In my daughter’s case, the springtail went into her nose and was then examined by a ENT specialist which confirmed the presence of the bug. Strange it may sound, I was and still am not affected at all. My wife commented “you take so many prescription drugs and herbs that the springtail has no love for you.” It appears that among the herbs or non prescription drug or natural substances I take, fish oil Omega-3, may be the effective deterrent or antagonist to springtail. In WEB or google search, fish oil among other oil have been used to “enhance” natural pesticides against springtails and other bugs. I will ask my wife to start taking it, since fish oil is a great supplement for cardiac health highly recommended by my and her cardiologist. I do NOT work for any company who sells fish oil or Omega 3 but I do take 2 capsules, 1 g each, twice daily. After all, it is worth a trial. If any of you care to try it, please do post your findings for the common good for all those who suffer from this disgusting pest. Thanks! Good Luck.
John
i had or thought i had morgellions a few yrs ago, when i got to see the dermatologist he suggested I change my antidepressant! There was no cure or help from the medical profession. It has passed now, but every late summer, I break out ina a mini version which doesn’t last long, so I cosider myself lucky.
omgosh – I never heard of such a thing as this thing/disease until i watch a video stating that Chemtrails distribute something called morgellons in them!!!! WHAAAT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1vTreYA0_E&feature=BFa&list=PLD384A1119D444F49&index=6
God bless us all….
Manamana has been diagnosed with mites! How refreshing to be taken seriously by a doctor that believe they exists and doesn’t treat me like I’m nuts! What type I’m not sure – certain bird mites. I have no lesions or marks on my body but I can easily find the glowing thing which is the live mite itself. With the shampoo and cream prescribed, I feel better but they are far from gone and I’ve used it twice already. The first night after shampooing, you didn’t need a blacklight to see these things – they stuck out easily. The infestation is the problem from going so long undiagnosed. It’s been a real nightmare and it’s not over yet despite constant mopping, laundry, etc… I understand why some folks have said they have moved leaving everything behind. I haven’t lost hope though. I believe I will get through this. Beware if you ever see small black specs in your sheets looking like pepper (they call them pepper mites for that reason), because they’re eggs about to lay 1,000 tiny microscopic fibers that you cannot see. After they stay on your head for months, you can see them with ease and watch them float around in alcohol when your dear daughter picks them off your head! Good luck to everyone with this or any other dilemma!
I’ve been experiencing all of what you all have for the past 5 months. Of course, I’m having to rely on the internet because all five doctors I’ve been to think I’m dillusional and have given me valium and they wonder why we come in “completely obsessed” about the crawling bug sensation! Within the last day, since buying a black light, I have found many white thread fibers – most of which look like it has a slightly enlarged head at the end. The rest I’m assuming are cotton threads. Some are red, some shine and before all of this, I was finding little black granules all over my bedsheets. I don’t understand how they start out and what they turn into. All I know is that I feel the crawly things all the time, even on my head. I have felt them crawling down my face. Sometimes I see red specs. As a result of surfing the internet, I have scared myself plain silly. Going to a dermotologist in Dallas that’s supposed to know about this sort of thing and will report back when I find out something.
Have you heard this before? Delusional Parasitosis (also known as “Ekbom syndrome, and delusions of parasitosis) is a form of psychosis whose victims acquire a strong delusional belief that they are infested with parasites, whereas in reality no such parasites are present. In my case as in yours the doctor is the delusional one.
I have seen two dermatologist and two MD’s. The MD’s should retire their license.
The dermatologists are aware of something being wrong but it is not in their science books yet. The pathologist used in my case have only got one thing correct, the burn. They diagnosed me with saver sunburn
The first drug prescribed for me by my dermatologist will kill the parasites from the areas of the body except for the skull area.
Ask your doctor for Fluticasone CR 240 mixed with 3% lidocane, camphor and methol. This is mixed with 6 ounces of pure white vasaline. Apply it direct to the lesions 2 to 3 times a day. When a spot starts itiching start the application. For me it took about 5 days to stop it.
Also ask your doctor for a drug name Fluconazole sl60 (60mg ) mixed with 3% lidocane, camphor and methol. This can be mixed with etohnal and applied to the scalp. Alos mix the 60 mgwith 3% lidocane, camphor and methol in 12 ea 8 oz bottles of a lotin equal to theraplex and apply it twice to three times a day to the body.
This should help, it did for me.
Last summer my husband and I went through a parasite cleansing. I’m glad we did and we still work with herbs for we had found we had morgellons shortly after that. Little did we know that at the time. I cant say how we got them except for the fact we have lived in Florida for almost six years now, one of the three states that has the most cases found of morgellons, which is very infectious. (sometimes I wonder if we should consider moving back up north but it is showing up there now too). I love palm trees and sunshine so here we stay for now. :>)
Throughout the winter we went off and on again with herbs for parasites which I know has helped considerably. We have recently changed our diet too doing our best to leave out GMO foods from our daily lives and eating more organic veggies and fruits, drink distilled water and no sugar (I gave up breads as well, husband is on his way I hope…you can find a list of GMO foods online).We have spent the time and money to rid the M, but yet battle it still somewhat. Nothing close to what I think we would have if we had not done all the cleansing since last year. (garlic, take a lot of garlic, the best natural antibiotic there is!) We feel if we had not been keeping our body cleansed and most recently changed our diet in a huge way, along with stating certain words each night before sleep (working with our subconscious mind which is responsible for the function of our entire body), we would be much worse off. I am thankful for the knowledge we have learned through the operation of faith through the years and the power of our words and thoughts, along with the knowledge found through The Secret movie and book.
The biggest thing we do with all of this is use mind over matter. What I mean is we have learned from experience that our words and thoughts create, have power and a lot of power at that. So we are saying a certain statement each night before sleep and I have a 2nd one I use during the day when I may occasionally, but rarely now, feel any crawling or itching. It’s working..that kind of motion stops when I say that statement which I will leave here at the end of my message in case you may want to use it. In fact I will leave both of the statements.
Also, we are showering using a bar of neem soap,using it both on our scalps and bodies. We have a shower filter in our shower head (M’s are in the water we shower in, wash clothes in..use Borax in your laundry, and of course found in tap water. So with the words we speak, careful of our thoughts and no complaints..add no more energy to this than possible, all of that and parasite killing herbs, changing our diet more with each day, we are having success. (This crap is in our soil, in the crops other than organic ones.) We eat organic eggs, drink organic milk of which I prefer almond and coconut milk most of all (parasites hate coconut). We also started exercising to help our immune system, am taking certain vitamins that helps with this along with herbal blood cleansers such as aloe vera and alfalfa. VERY important to cleanse your blood! On the internet there is now much info on how to combat M’s. Curezone is a wonderful site! There are forums too where people support one another and share what they are doing to help themselves for most doctors, as we know, do not. I dont do doctors and gladly have not for years, I have used alternative ways for some time now with great results if any health problem.
Thank God for herbs!! I also ask for help and my Guidance System within always takes me to the answers soon after. I do not have lesions but I think eventually I may have if not for the colon cleanse and parasite cleanse which I continue yet today..off again, on again parasite killing herbs. When I first go back on them they move some for they are trying to escape so I use my weapon of words and they stop (that’s how powerful we are, we just forgot is all).. By the end of the 1st week they stop playing games with me. I say now to my husband they picked the wrong person to invade!
I recommend highly to do a parasite cleanse often, but first doing a gentle colon cleanse (this done at least once a year, parasite kill more often of course). I say gentle due to a harsh die-off which I experienced last summer in a huge way, it was awful. I found out later there is something one can take during the colon cleanse to avoid that.
For myself and my loved ones I have prayed and now giving thanks (ask, believe, receive through gratefulness). I continue to ask questions whenever I have them for then I get the help I need. Throughout this DO NOT blame nor be angry with anyone, and love yourself with all of your heart, be good to You!
I know our minds are a powerful tool, I have found that to be very true in my 62 years so use imaging ( I do and it works great..you can use an M zapper killing them off within your body or whatever works best for you. Understand that fear is an intense feeling that will bring in more reason to fear, you do not want to multiply this condition!! FIGHT BACK!..BE THE VICTOR, NOT THE VICTIM..DO NOT ALLOW THOSE CRAPPY THINGS TO RUIN YOUR LIFE! Say only what you want, NOT what you dont want to yourself and others…be VERY careful what you say for we do create with our words and most of all with our feelings. Do not keep adding negative energy to this whole thing. Once again, be the Victor. Complain you remain, whine you stay behind, praise (give thanks) you raise. Be careful of self-indulging your ego. Fear is something none of us has the luxury of experiencing while we are going through this. Replace with faith by first asking for healing, then giving thanks each day for your healing no matter how you feel. (a woman was cured of cancer giving thanks for her healing in spite of being seriously ill… she said it must have been a hundred times a day…her healing was discovered by her amazed doctor three months later and without meds or chemo, see how powerful our words are?!). DO NOT judge by appearances! I have learned how to do that and even when it was so tough too, I can tell you it works!!!!!(use the Law of Polarity).
I am praying for all of you here.
Here are those two statements I use daily and nightly before sleep to give to my subconscious mind:
“Anything in or on my body, OTHER than what God has planted, is dissolved and rooted out!”
I say that with feeling..they stop their monkey business when I do.
The one I say at night along with the one above as follows:
‘”I reject all the wrong and harm that is being done to my body and my body repels all the harmful energy and matter”. Let this be your mantra during the day, say it often..memorize it..again, our words hold a lot of power, life and death is in the tongue.
You would be best to say these two statements each day during your alpha states of mind in particular, which is just before sleep and when you first wake in the morning. That way your conscious mind (which is the logical part of you) will not argue, it needs rest as you do so it is out of the way during those times:>).
Much Love and Compassion to You all! <3
I cant believe I am reading this!! I thought I was going to end up in the R-Wing, I never thought I would find anyone who actually believed me about fiber-like hairs coming out of my eyes & nose!! I’ve been seeing an Eye Dr. for about a month now, w/ no help! I’ve pulled all of my lashes out due to these fibers, cotton-wood looking, look wavey white mostly, some red & blue, black coarse hairs, fuzz balls, no lesions, just annoying fibers all the time. I see them everywhere in my house, anyones house that I frequent regularly. I cant stand being in my own skin anymore!! Everyone thinks I am nuts, I cant live like this anymore!! I also looked at Heavy metal poisoning, symptoms are similar. Except anyone who knows about the fibers know I am telling the truth. White ones stick up, almost like the are staticey. They float like, its super aggravating!! I no longer enjoy anything, this has taken over my life, I need to be well for my daughter & husband. Please help me:-(