The Telegraph: Morgellons Disease continues to defeat scientists

[ThorGoLucky]

"Scientists baffled!" ...but then it's found that in some cases it's tropical rat mites.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8626767/Morgellons-Disease-continues-to-defeat-scientists.html

 

[Jay Reynolds]

scanning electron microscope image of dust mite among household dust and skin scales:




The blue fibers in this picture look to me like the nylon carpet fibers shown here:
http://www.state.nj.us/njsp/divorg/invest/criminalistics.html

Here are morgellons fibers:
http://www.morgellonsexposed.com/pjBlueFibers.htm

Carpets are by far the largest reservoir of dust and fibers in a home.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1310818.stm

 

[Mick West]

There are many many possible sources of the Morgellons fibers. Back when I was investigating Morgellons I used the most common microscope they used to take photos of regular household fibers, and accumulated quite a gallery:

http://picasaweb.google.com/morgellonswatch/NotMorgellons

In particular there an iconic "Morgellons fibers" photo, which I showed was identical to regular clothing fibers

http://morgellonswatch.com/2006/07/11/fuzzballs/

Their Fuzzball:


My Fuzzball (same microscope model and magnification):

 

[Mick West]

Interesting background on that story:

http://lymebusters.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=rash&thread=14935&page=1#169044

Some clarification.

I personally know this doctor, Nick Mann; I have met with him and had a very long conversation about Morgellons and the collection of symptoms (common and not so common) that are referred to as "morgellons".
I will say briefly, that he is one of the most compassionate human beings that I have ever met. He is appalled at the shabby way in which many of us have been treated by the medical community. He believes very much that Morgellons is a medical condition, and he is very concerned about not only the level of suffering and personal havoc that Morgellons causes to individuals and their families, but the increasing number of cases, too.

My understanding is that Mann does NOT think that everyone who has Morgellons symptoms actually HAS rat mites. I believe him to think that some of us MAY have rat mites. But some of us also may have other co-infections other than rat mites. When I met him he was kind enough to ask me about my symptoms. He told me that he did not think that I had rat mites, but neither does he know what it is.

In this article, he is NOT saying: "look at the fibers, they are really folded up mite legs".
I believe that he is being misquoted, and that this article is poorly written.

Mann IS saying several things:

1. He himself had a mite infection that doctors in the UK think can only be got outside of the UK.
Ergo, doctors need to re-think their position on Morgellons and actually LOOK at what is going on in the skin of those suffering with Morgellons. If HE could have had a real medical problem not recognized by GP's, then it is certain that WE ALSO likely have something real, too.

2. There ARE some phenomenon (symptoms) associated with parasite infections that resemble artifacts (like fibers). In images of mites infecting hair follicles, mite legs often resemble fibers. He is making the case --NOT that Morgellons fibers are mite legs -- but that Morgellons fibers could be a variety of things, possibly associated with a parasite or other organism.

I have to say that Will Storr is one of the worst writers I have come across in a long while.
Similar confusion and inaccuracies appeared in his article about the last Morgellons Conference in Texas.
I wish he would stop writing about Morgellons, or take a writing course, because he is not really helping. He is only making things more confusing. And yes, I am qualified to make that judgment, being a published author, myself.

Content from external source

 

[Unregistered]

The colored fibers I think are the fibers of the clothing one could be wearing, I've noticed fibers on my skin that happen to be the same color of the clothing I was wearing, specially if it's of organic material such as cotton or wool. I do believe that it could be Demodex mites population going out of control because of a auto inmune deficiency, I'm taking Tyroid medications. We have 2 kind of inmune system, the outerskin inmune system, and the internal organism inmune system, the one we are all familiar with. Demodex mites are out of control because of a weakening inmune system in the outer skin. A good healthy diet, lots of showers and cleaning and mint oil keep them under control.

 

[Unregistered]

I myself and my husband and children were suffering from morgellons disease. i bought every kind of everything you can buy to get rid of it. i mixed chopped garlic and sulfur soap.. vinager and sulfer soap. castile soap..and a spray i got from a friend called Morgone. i vacuumed day in and day out mopped the floor about 3 times a day and wiped everything down. We have had no symptoms for about 2 months now. Thank God...
Im not sure what it was that got rid of it but i hope it stayes away..

The colored fibers I think are the fibers of the clothing one could be wearing, I've noticed fibers on my skin that happen to be the same color of the clothing I was wearing, specially if it's of organic material such as cotton or wool. I do believe that it could be Demodex mites population going out of control because of a auto inmune deficiency, I'm taking Tyroid medications. We have 2 kind of inmune system, the outerskin inmune system, and the internal organism inmune system, the one we are all familiar with. Demodex mites are out of control because of a weakening inmune system in the outer skin. A good healthy diet, lots of showers and cleaning and mint oil keep them under control.

 

[Jay Reynolds]

You were all cured when you believed you would be cured. I'm very happy that you got over this, but disappointed in whoever put the idea in your head in the first place. Shame on them.

 

[Critical Thinker]

http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/morgellons-disease/SN00043/METHOD=print

"Morgellons disease is the popular name for an unexplained skin disorder characterized by disfiguring sores and crawling sensations on and under the skin. Morgellons disease also features fibers or solid materials emerging from these sores.Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have concluded that Morgellons disease, which they refer to as an unexplained dermopathy, isn't caused by an infection or parasites. Fibers found in the sores are usually wisps of cotton thread, probably coming from clothing or bandages.
CDC experts note that the signs and symptoms of Morgellons disease are very similar to those of a mental illness involving false beliefs about infestation by parasites (delusional parasitosis)."