CDC Launches Morgellons Study on Unexplained Skin Disease

Morgellons is a skin condition that affects thousands of people, and its cause is as of yet unknown. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that they will work in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente's Northern California Division of Research over the next twelve or more months to clarify symptoms and to attempt to identify risk factors.

Sufferers of this skin condition usually report the feeling of stinging, biting, or "pins and needles" covering their skin, as well as joint pain. Many also have lesions that do not heal and have fibers (white, blue, red, green, or black in color) emerging from them. Sometimes these lesions lead to scars and disfigurement. Often, short-term memory loss and concentration issues also occur. The Mayo Clinic article also cites occasional gastrointestinal issues. There seems to be a trend within families, as frequently more than one family member, adults and children alike, seem to suffer from the condition. This brings up the question of it being contagious. Cases have been reported in every state, with the highest concentrations seeming to be in California, Texas, Florida. Many occurrences also exist in Europe, according to the Morgellons Research Foundation.

At this time, no cure exists. The MRF reports that sometimes sufferers have been successfully treated with some antibiotics and anti-fungal and anti-parasitic medications to clear up some of the symptoms. Others are treated for conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, or neurological diseases. Still others are told they suffer from a form of paranoia (delusional parasitosis) in which they feel crawling sensations over their skin. Some of them are prescribed anti-psychotic drugs. In an article written by Elizabeth DeVita-Raeburn in Psychology Today, one mother was even accused of Munchhausen's by proxy, meaning she was making up her son's condition in order to get attention. ABC News tells of skeptics who have also accused patients of bringing in clothing lint and claiming it came from their skin.

People who suffer from these symptoms have been getting fed up with being told that they are delusional or have different diseases. They have partnered up with the MRF and have bombarded the CDC with requests for research to be done. The CDC has finally answered their requests by setting up this study. In the meantime, the Mayo Clinic suggests following suggested treatments prescribed by your medical team.

The verification of the disease is a hotly debated topic, due to a lack of consensus about its true existence. The CDC study should be able to put to rest many of the questions.

If you would like to send inquiries to the CDC yourself, they have set up a phone number to call at 404-718-1199, and an e-mail address at morgellonssyndrome@cdc.gov.

Sources:
ABC Primetime, "'Morgellons' Mystery", ABCNews website
CDC staff, "Unexplained Dermopathy (a.k.a. "Morgellons"), CDC website
CDC Press Release, January 16, 2008, http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2008/r080116.htm
DeVita-Raeburn, Elizabeth, "The Morgellons Mystery"Psychology Today Magazine, Mar/Apr 2007, Morgellons Research Foundation
Mayo Clinic staff, "Morgellons disease: Managing a mysterious skin condition", Mayo Clinic website
Morgellons Research Foundation Website http://www.morgellons.org/