U.S. to study Bizarre Mystery Disease
Pastor Dale Morgan
U.S. to study Bizarre Mystery Disease*
By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
Federal officials have launched an investigation of a mysterious and
disabling skin condition called Morgellons disease that appears to be on
the rise around the country, particularly in California and Texas.
Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the
study is sorely needed. Morgellons received its name only in 2002, and
doctors know little about the disease, other than its symptoms: skin
rashes or sores, along with granules, threads, and filaments or black,
speck-like materials on or beneath the skin; crawling, stinging or
biting sensations; fatigue; mental confusion and short-term memory loss;
joint pain and vision changes.
The disease is so upsetting that many patients become unable to work,
according to the Morgellons Research Foundation, which provides
information and support to patients. The disease traces its name to a
17th-century physician who used the term "Morgellons" to describe a
similar skin condition in French children.
While scientists don't know exactly how many people suffer from the
disease, the CDC has received 1,200 inquiries about Morgellons just in
the past year, says Michele Pearson, principal investigator. CDC
officials note that they don't know whether the disease is becoming more
common, or if more people are simply aware of it.
More than 11,000 families have registered with the Morgellons Research
Foundation, spokeswoman Candice Han says. About one-third of those
families have more than one affected member, suggesting there could be
about 15,000 Morgellons patients in the USA. Morgellons also has been
reported in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Japan, the
Philippines and Indonesia.
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Pathology
About one-quarter of American patients live in California, which Pearson
described as a "hot spot" for the disease. Because so many cases have
occurred in that part of the country, the CDC has hired Kaiser
Permanente's Northern California Division of Research to lead the
investigation, says Joe Selby of Kaiser. The CDC is also working with
the Armed Forces Pathology Institute and the American Academy of
Dermatology on the study, which is expected to take about a year.
The disease is so baffling that many doctors assume patients are
suffering from a mental illness and that their symptoms are imaginary,
according to the Morgellons Research Foundation. Patients who test
positive for certain infectious organisms often find relief for their
symptoms after taking antibiotics, the foundation says.
Scientists hope to learn more about Morgellons' symptoms and possible
risk factors.
CDC officials don't know how long the disease has existed or if it's
contagious. They don't know whether it primarily affects people of a
certain age, race or sex more than others. Pearson hopes the study will
give doctors a basic understanding of the condition.
"There is no textbook on this condition," Pearson says. "We're at the
beginning of the learning curve."