by D. Vogt

Created on: November 03, 2010

Morgellons disease is an alleged (but still unrecognized) syndrome involving a crawling sensation in the skin, associated with lesions or rashes. There is still debate in the medical community over whether Morgellons disease actually exists, or whether it is simply a particular manifestation of existing psychiatric ailments.

The "discovery" of Morgellons disease was made in 2002, when medical technician Mary Leitao and physician Edward Leitao found that their young son had strange sores on his lip, and some peculiar coloured fibres in the sores (when examined under a microscope). Several doctors were unable to diagnose the problem, and some, suspicious, even claimed that Mary Leitao herself was suffering from a psychiatric illness known as Munchausen's syndrome by proxy (in which people feign symptoms of an illness in others, usually relatives, in order to get attention from medical authorities). Unconvinced, Leitao founded a new organization called the Morgellons Research Foundation, which soon attracted attention from other people saying they were suffering from similar symptoms. The Foundation says it has received information about thousands of anecdotal cases, including people of every age group.

Morgellons disease is not officially recognized by any medical bodies, so there is no definitive list of symptoms. However, those suffering from the condition typically have some sort of sore or lesion in the skin, associated with the appearance of strange fibres and a crawling sensation, as though there are bugs crawling underneath the skin. People usually diagnose themselves based on anecdotal information they obtain on the Internet, since doctors are generally reluctant to make the diagnosis.

Currently, much of the medical profession holds that Morgellons disease is actually a popular manifestation of another psychiatric ailment called delusional parasitosis (the medical term for the obsession with bugs infesting the skin), and possibly media-fed fears about strange fibres which actually have innocuous origins, including textile fibres from clothing. Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have opened an investigation into what it refers to as Unexplained Dermopathy, which may end with formal recognition of the new disease. The CDC warns that there are no proven treatments for Morgellons disease, although a number of mostly online groups are selling various creams and pills. According to the Morgellons Research Foundation, some Morgellons patients have been found to carry a type of bacteria which may have caused the symptoms, and which can be treated with antibiotics.

- Sources and More Information -

Mayo Clinic. "Morgellons Disease."

Morgellons Research Foundation. "Frequently Asked Questions."

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