Posted on 12/13/2004 3:42:35 AM PST by Darko
Possible New Bio-Terrorist Attack on US
The majority of individuals reporting symptoms of Morgellons Disease reside in California, Texas, and Florida. Several distinct "cluster" areas of this disease have been noted (in order of cluster density) near Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, and Austin, Texas.
Physicians treating patients with this disease believe that it involves a novel organism. This organism has been difficult to identify, but appears to infect individuals whose immune systems have been altered by Lyme Disease, also known as Lyme Borreliosis. This foundation is working to identify this novel organism and determine the source of the disturbing crawling, stinging, and biting sensations experienced by people with this disease.
Most individuals with this disease report non-healing skin lesions, which are associated with highly unusual structures. These structures can be described as fiber-like or filamentous, and are the most striking features of this disease. In addition, many people consistently report finding objects described as black specks, and granules associated with their skin and skin lesions. The granules have also been described as sand or seeds, but are often seen to have fibers emerging from one end. The elongated fibers are often twisted into balls or what appear to be bundles of fibers, as they grow within the skin. Many people refer to these bundles as fiber balls, fuzz balls, or lint balls. The fibers are clearly hyphae-like structures, and yet, due their immense size (150+/- microns wide), they do not fall within the description of known hyphae or pseudohyphae. The fibers are most often white, but are also consistently seen as blue, black, and rarely red. The fibers exhibit a high degree of autofluorescence and are not, repeat not, textile derived.
Additional organisms may be found on the skin of individuals with this disease, but are considered incidental findings related to skin integrity. The only consistencies observed by laboratories affiliated with this foundation, have been the fibers, black specks, and granule-like structures. These consistencies are the main focus of our investigation of the primary cause of Morgellons Disease. However, this foundation remains dedicated to finding clear answers for all individuals who have received a diagnosis of Delusional Parasitosis.
Remarkably, not all people with this disease have overt skin lesions, as some individuals report intact skin. The troubling sensations and accompanying physical structures, are the consistent clues to this bizarre skin disease, which we will refer to as a Borrelia coinfection.
What are the additional symptoms of this disease? An extremely high percentage of our members report the following: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (Myalgic Encephalopathy or ME), "brain fog" or cognitive decline, ADHD, mood disorders (primarily Bipolar Disorder and depression), joint swelling and pain, rapid visual and neurological decline, autoimmune disease, and hair loss. Many of these common additional symptoms appear to be related to inflammation. What is inflammation?
Some of the symptoms and physical structures associated with this disease are unusual and may lead physicians to assume that the patient is misinterpreting their situation. Nearly all (95% of) adults with the symptoms of this skin disease have received a diagnosis of DOP or Delusional Parasitosis. What is Delusional Parasitosis?
Never heard of it. Don't think it's an attack.
Reads like a who's who of "diseases" claimed by Munchhausen sufferers or hypochondriacs...
No kidding. I'll wait for the breathless series of followup articles on how Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is caused by Bosnian Muslim AQ members or whatever.
Also sounds like the array of symptoms (physical affects) common to those with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, also an autoimmune disease.
This guy?
Ping
ping
Cal, it is bio,and it sure sounds terrible,but I don't see a "bioterror" attack in this....although I sure don't know what it is !
Is this a Python skit? Attacked with an annoying itch?
I didn't make the title :)
I don't know either. Worth a mental note though for future reference.
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