Mystery disease spreading in FL, CA, TX

[scottxyz]

A mysterious skin disease is currently spreading across Florida, and doctors are searching for answers on how to stop the epidemic.

The disease, called Morgellons Disease, is a parasite-like infection that literally makes the infected person’s skin crawl. The disease has already been found in thousands of patients in Florida, Texas and California.

http://www.wtev.com/news/reports/story.aspx?content_id=C5475578-792B-47F5-86F5-14FE14E27EAF

[GetTheRightVote]

1. Strange really strange

:kick:

[Ironpost]

2. sounds like Prozac.

[Skink]

4. so it has already spread to a blue state...

:scared:

[Stop_the_War]

3. Oh shit! I live in Jacksonville, Florida!

[1monster]

15. Consider just how polluted the St. Johns River is. Considering that

Margallons Disease was described in 1610 when keeping water supplies around towns clean was not a priority, I'm wondering if that is not the reason that it is showing up again.

I live just south of you in St. Johns County, and I'm not happy to know that because my well shaft developed a leak, I had to hook up to County water which comes from the St. Johns River. (The Country refused to allow us to drill a new well, insisted that we hook up to SJC water. :grr: ) I assume that you get your water from the St. Johns too.

We drink and cook only with distilled water, but we still have to use STJ water for showers. :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[Stop_the_War]

21. They use water from the St. Johns River? EWW!

I wonder if they do that here. Oh god I hope not. :scared: :scared: :scared:

[1monster]

43. Ever hear of the St. Johns River Water Managment District ??

Yeah, our water comes from the St. Johns River for quite a bit of Central to Northeast Florida. And Remember, Jacksonville is the end of the St. Johns River, not the source.

Check this out: http://www.nbbd.com/godo/StJohns.html

"St. Johns River Water Management District
The St. Johns River Water Management District has jurisdiction over some 12,400 square miles of area in Northern and East-central Florida, or about 21 percent of the state's total area. More than three million residents live within the District, which like Florida's other four water management districts, is organized along hydrologic boundaries rather than political lines. The St. Johns District includes all of Brevard, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Nassau, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties, and portions of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Lake, Marion, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Putnam and Polk counties.
Facts:

The St. Johns is the longest river in Florida - 310 miles long. It is one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north. snip



Because the river flows north, the upper basin is the area to the south that forms its marshy headwaters. The middle basin is the area in central Florida where the river widens forming lakes Harney, Jesup. Monroe and George. The lower basin is the area in Northeast Florida from Putnam County to the river's mouth in Duval County.
The source of the river, or headwaters, is a large marshy area in Indian River County It flows north and turns eastward at Jacksonville to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean

The width of the river varies. It is a broad marsh at its headwaters and averages more than two miles in width between Palatka and Jacksonville. It widens to form large lakes in central Florida.
The total drop of the river from its source in swamps south of Melbourne to its mouth in the Atlantic near Jacksonville is less than 30 feet, or about one inch per mile, making it one of the "laziest" rivers in the world.

Because the river flows slowly, it is difficult to flush pollutants.
Major pollution sources include discharges from wastewater treatment plants and runoff from urban and agricultural areas after it rains. This runoff carries pesticides and other pollutants into streams that lead to the river. Pollution is concentrated around urban areas.
Saltwater enters the river at its mouth in Jacksonville. In periods of low water, tides may cause a reverse flow as far south as Lake Monroe - 161 miles upstream from the rivers mouth.


The St. Johns basin is actually an ancient intracoastal lagoon system. As sea levels dropped barrier islands became an obstacle that prevented water from flowing east to the ocean. Instead, the water collected in the flat valley and slowly meandered northward for about 300 miles. This formed the St. Johns River."

[mike_c]

5. dammit-- this is irresponsible yellow journalism of the worst sort....

I have hunted through wadded paper towels that a delusional parasitosis patient swore were full of "parasites that had crawled out of her skin." They contained nothing but her own dried body fluids, hair, clothing fibers, and bits of skin. There is an extensive literature on delusional parasitosis. Whoever is publicizing these rumors of diseases should be ashamed.

[scottxyz]

6. google 'Morgellons'

You will find many news reports about this "disease".

Yes, I agree it could be "delusional parasitosis." Skin irritations are known to be spreadable via suggestion, a kind of "nocebo" effect (the opposite of placebo). So this COULD be a psychosomatic illness.

Then again, it COULD be caused by some pathogen such as a microbe, small insect, or chemical irritant.

It just seems interesting (and worrisome) that there are so many diagnoses out there - delusion, microbe, insect, environment - and no agreement as to what is really going on.

[mike_c]

10. I know about "Morgellon's disease...."

Most cases of "Morgellon's disease" are sad illusions that manifest as obsessions with insects or other "parasites" crawling out of the skin, and compulsive scratching and self damage. Ninety nine percent of the "evidence" for "parasitic organisms" as the causitive agent of Morgellons is imagined. That might seem incredible, but it's true. Look at the micrographs they post. There's nothing in them that suggests any sort of parasite, yet they are captioned with decriptions like "organisms crawling from the skin."

[1monster]

16. The CDC refused to check in to this mystery disease after they studied

photos of the sores on webs sites about the disease. Apparrently, they believe that they can tell whether or not there is a parasite causing these sores just by looking at a photograph.

At the very least, the people suffering from these symptom should expect the CDC to do a real investigation of this problem before labeling them delusional.

edited to add: Remember, ladies especially, when we were told that menstral cramps and other such problems were psychosymatic? That many of the very real problems we suffered from were all in our minds. A lot of that changed when more and more women entered the medical professions and real research into women's medical issues was begun.

[Jamastiene]

33. Damn,

now I'm itching just reading about it.

[idiosyncratic]

11. Are you a physician? Do you think Lyme disease is always "cured"

with only 21 days of antibiotics? It was this section in the article that got my attention:

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.


Unbelievably, Lyme disease is a disease doctors disagree about . . . but patients don't. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria, yet it is "political" and "controversial."

[mike_c]

14. I'm an entomologist and I've consulted with dermatologists...

...on delusional parasitosis cases. As I said, I have hunted through jars and bags of "evidence" that patients swore contained the "parasites" they collected from their skin, clothing, linens, dryer filter, and so on. The patients look into those balls of fuzz and they SEE insects or spiders or worm-like parasites.

on edit: the pathogen that causes Lyme disease is a known spirocete bacteria. There's nothing controversial about that.

[laruemtt]

36. i'm here to tell you lyme disease

is NOT always cured with 21 days of abx. i was diagnosed in december of 1995 after being sick on and off for three years. this is my TENTH YEAR on abx and i'm a mess without them. people know very little about lyme and the way it totally changes a person's life. if you don't get it diagnosed almost immediately, you can count on having it for life and having it in a really fun neurological form. damned spirochete..................

[whistle]

7. Delusional parasitosis, non-specific colitis why do doctors...

...get paid such high fees when all they can do is blame patients for their symptoms. Another skin infection is psoriasis which millions of people suffer from and there is no cure for that either, only stuff that hides it. Yet, drug companies make billions on their drugs.

[ClintonTyree]

8. The Doctors can't SEE the sores?

I'm sure the patients aren't imagining them. This is weird, very weird. And kinda' scary!

[mike_c]

12. people with delusional parasitosis often abrade wounds...

...all over themselves. The physical symptoms might start with something as simple as dry skin, or psoriasis, or real insect bites.

[WillowTree]

9. Strange.......

that WebMD has nothing about Morgellons disease. I mean, I find it hard to fathom that so many people in relatively localized areas are experiencing the same symptoms and having the same complaints and it would all be psychosomatic, but you'd think that WebMD would have some on this disease--And the Merck Manual makes no mention of it, either, which would lead me to believe that it's not a generally recognized diagnosis.

Very odd indeed.

[mike_c]

13. what these people all share in common is a cultural obsession...

...with keeping bugs off their skin, fear of being "infested," and so on.

[Ian David]

19. Mass-Delusions and Hysterical illnesses- Very common

Mass Delusions and Hysterias
Highlights from the Past Millennium
Over the past millennium, mass delusions and hysterical outbreaks have taken many forms. Sociologists Robert Bartholomew and Erich Goode survey some of the more colorful cases.
Robert E. Bartholomew and Erich Goode

<snip>

The study of collective delusions most commonly falls within the domain of sociologists working in the sub-field of collective behavior, and psychologists specializing in social psychology. Collective delusions are typified as the spontaneous, rapid spread of false or exaggerated beliefs within a population at large, temporarily affecting a particular region, culture, or country. Mass hysteria is most commonly studied by psychiatrists and physicians. Episodes typically affect small, tightly knit groups in enclosed settings such as schools, factories, convents and orphanages (Calmeil 1845; Hirsch 1883; Sirois 1974).

Mass hysteria is characterized by the rapid spread of conversion disorder, a condition involving the appearance of bodily complaints for which there is no organic basis. In such episodes, psychological distress is converted or channeled into physical symptoms.

<snip>

The term mass hysteria is often used inappropriately to describe collective delusions, as the overwhelming majority of participants are not exhibiting hysteria, except in extremely rare cases. In short, all mass hysterias are collective delusions as they involve false or exaggerated beliefs, but only rarely do collective delusions involve mass hysteria as to do so, they must report illness symptoms.

Many factors contribute to the formation and spread of collective delusions and hysterical illness: the mass media; rumors; extraordinary anxiety or excitement; cultural beliefs and stereotypes; the social and political context; and reinforcing actions by authorities such as politicians, or institutions of social control such as the police or military. Episodes are also distinguishable by the redefinition of mundane objects, events, and circumstances and reflect a rapidly spreading folk belief which contributes to an emerging definition of the situation.

More:
http://www.csicop.org/si/2000-05/delusions.html


See also:
Pokemon Panic of 1997 (Skeptical Inquirer May 2001)
... December 19. Bartholomew, R. 1997. Collective delusions: A skeptic's guide. Skeptical
Inquirer 21(3):29-33, May/June. ---. 1999. Epidemic hysteria in Virginia. ...
www.csicop.org/si/2001-05/pokemon.html

Skeptic News - Archives - 2000 Week 07, February 6 - 12
... Skeptic MetaNews: Here's a bunch of items from the backlog. ... Health: Mass Psychogenic
Illness Attributed to Toxic Exposure at a High School (NEJM abstract ...
webs1138.im1.net/archives/2000/week07.shtml

TRN - Apr 1999 - Remembering the 'Mad Gasser' of Mattoon, Illinois
... Bartholomew, RE (1997), "Collective Delusions: A Skeptic's Guide," Skeptical Inquirer,
21(3 ... and Murphy, LR (1982), "A Review of Mass Psychogenic Illness in Work ...
www.reall.org/newsletter/v07/n04/mad-gasser.html

Victor 98 REFERENCES
... "Tarantism, Dancing Mania and Demonopathy:The Anthro-Political Aspects of 'Mass
Psychogenic Illness'". Psychological Medicine 24:281-306. ... Skeptic 3(3): 44-5 1. ...
home.wanadoo.nl/ipce/library_two/ files/victor_98_refs.htm

Skeptic Report
... population. Such cases have been termed "mass sociogenic illness" and "mass psychosomatic reaction” (Lancet, July 3, 1999). Such ...
www.skepticreport.com/print/natureanecdotes-p.htm

Epidemic Hysteria in Virginia:
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
Page 1. CURRENT CONCEPTS C ONVERSION HYSTERIA refers to the presenta- tion of physical complaints for which there is no identifiable organic basis. ...
www.sma.org/smj1999/augsmj99/bartholomew.pdf\

The Quack-Files: The Nature of Anecdotes
... Such cases have been termed "mass sociogenic illness" and "mass psychosomatic reaction ... here (the first paragraph was added later): Skeptic Report September 2003 ...
www.geocities.com/healthbase/anecdotes.html


See also:

Epidemic hysteria

mass psychogenic illness

mass sociogenic illness

transient situational disturbance

[slutticus]

17. I had this once.

Don't take the brown acid. :D

[spooked911]

35. Indeed.

:P :P :P :P

[Freebird12004]

38. LOL

[guajira]

18. My Grandson (In Florida!) has had a mystery skin problem for

at least 2 months. His legs have bright red, dime sized spots, and no Dr. has explained what it is. He is a teenager and has missed a lot of school. He is being treated now with steroids, but I wonder if that is the correct medicine.

We thought at first he had a spider bite, but now have no idea what he has!!

[Ian David]

20. Delusional Parasitosis

Delusional Parasitosis

Definition

Delusional Parasitosis is a mistaken belief that one is being infested by parasites such as mites, lice, fleas, spiders, worms, bacteria, or other organisms. (If of interest, please read from the sufferer's view.) This site has been created in an attempt to centralize accurate information on this misunderstood and increasingly common syndrome.

<snip>

The infestation is described by the sufferer as located:

1. In or under the skin
2. Around or just inside body openings or in sputum
3. Internally, particularly in the stomach or intestines
4. In the vicinity of the sufferer, particularly in the home


- Symptoms

The individual: 1. Has suffered from the infestation for a long time
2. Has been seen by numerous physicians, exterminators, parsitologists, hygienists and entomologists
3. Consistently and fiercely rejects negative findings or any that deviated from their perceptions of the infestation
4. Sufferers often exhibit the "matchbox sign," where they:
* deliver or mail containers holding samples
* samples consist of dust, lint, skin scrapings, toilet paper, dried blood or scabs; hair or other pieces of human tissue

5. Self mutilation can occur, where the sufferer has attempted to dig out the parasites, ranging from scratches to deep ulceration

6. One or more family members may share the delusion:
* Folie à deux - two family members involved, usually husband and wife or parent and child
* Folie à trois - three or more family members involved

7. Use of home remedies, coupled with a distrust of prescription drugs

8. Self exposure to often dangerous levels of pesticides


<snip>

Patient's Viewpoint: What's Attacking Me?

They feel like bugs, worms, or mites that are biting, crawling over, or burrowing, into, under, or out of your skin. They must be there, because you can feel them and maybe you can even see them. They may also infest your home or furniture. You may be the only one that knows they are there. No one seems to believe they exist except you. Nothing seems to get rid of them. So what are they?


<snip>

More:
http://delusion.ucdavis.edu/

[UL_Approved]

28. A lot of health problems have been appearing for the last few years

Anything from asthma to allergies to skin diseases have been appearing more frequently for the last few years. This incident may be a skin rash disease, or a fungus, or possibly made up.

I have to say that after the works on Russian brainwashing techniques, that the "mass delusion" idea is more far-fetched than a long-term virus, bacterial, or fungal infection. This really needs to be examined, especially if it is so widespread.

Anybody ever hear of the Love Canal?

[OneBlueSky]

22. more on Morgellons Disease . . . related to chemtrails? . . .

some people seem to think so . . .

Morgellons Research Foundation
http://www.morgellons.org/index.html

Chemtrail Aerosol Polymers You Are Breathing
http://www.rense.com/general39/chem.htm

Chemtrails - Bio-Active Crystalline Cationic Polymers
http://www.rense.com/general39/vat.htm

Mycoplasmas and Chemtrails
http://www.bariumblues.com/mycoplasma_from_chemtrails.htm

Bariumblues.com
(for more general information)
http://www.bariumblues.com/

[DemonFighterLives]

26. This is exactly what I was thinking

Buy wasn't ready to bear the attacks on my tinfoil hat.
The Bush crime family has allowed the mafia to drop all kinds of sh*t on us. No doubt that things will look a little different to people.
:cry:

[OneBlueSky]

27. I know what you mean . . . a lot of people dismiss chemtrails . . .

as tinfoil hat stuff . . . they obviously don't spend any time actually LOOKING at the sky . . . have you noticed that clear days are almost nonexistant anymore? . . . as soon as a clear sky appears in the morning, the flyboys are out doing their spraying . . . within a couple of hours, poof, no more clear skies . . . wonder why that is? . . .

actually, if you do some digging you'll find there's a lot more to the chemtrails story than you can imagine . . . and some of it's pretty scary stuff . . . I don't know what to believe, or how much is true . . . all I know is that chemtrails are real, and that someone's spraying an awful lot of shit into the atmosphere on an almost daily basis . . . seems to me there'd be a news story there . . . but n-o-o-o-o-o-o-o! . . . MSM won't touch it . . . hell, meteorologists won't even touch it, and they absolutely have to know that something's happening . . .

someday we'll know the truth . . . but who knows what kind of damage is being done in the meantime . . .

[Maraya1969]

31. The problem that is obvious is the 'bug hunters" will not look

at the environment for a cause. They are so obsessed with the germ theory of disease they loose all sense of pragmatism. With bugs, viruses and other "tiny beings" they have something to look that is in their field of study. Unfortunately they often can't see the elephant in the room because their noses are stuck in the petri dish.

[dbt]

34. OneBlueSky, I study chemtrails and

I'm here to tell you that they have increased markedly since just after the Supposed Election of 2004, at least over Arkansas.

Where one formerly saw four planes at one time, one can now see six or eight. Where I used to count around 12 spray missions per hour in 2003, I can now observe 28.

Then, there's the matter of the fibers associated with the chemtrails. They are not always apparent, but I have seen several instances of them drifting down from the sky this year as the spray missions go overhead. They are "explained" as web material which spiders use to travel long distances on the wind. Trouble is, spiders normally do this in the late spring or early summer here--and it's the dead of winter.

IIRC, there have been reports of fibers with the Morgellon's Disease. There's something worth looking into, but all we get is diagnoses of Delusional Mass Psychosis or whatever. The methodical Clifford Carnicom says the trails contain aluminum and barium, and he has also observed fibers.

Bottom line: something sure as hell is going on up there, something that, at the very least, has the potential to be detrimental to human health over wide areas of the Earth. The government's response has been two-faceted. It tells inquiring citizen that these are "persistent contrails" and it makes certain that a bunch of disinformation gets onto the Internet and/or the Alleged MSM.

:tinfoilhat: proudly displayed,
dbt

[Joanne98]

41. Chemtails. That's what I was going to suggest. lol

[depakid]

23. Does anyone have a link to this that isn't

some local "news" channel?

I'd like to actually see something credible before giving the matter any thought....

[elehhhhna]

37. Here, with pics:

http://www.morgellons.org/

[Freebird12004]

39. Yuck

[elehhhhna]

40. Yeah. And how does a 3 year old get a psychosomatic rash?

[depakid]

47. Curious- no scientific papers referenced at all on google scholar

The site did have an interesting old historical paper on the subject.

And some unusual pictures, although since I have very little knowledge of pathology, I wouldn't know what to make of them.

The potential Lyme connection is interesting. Perhaps there's some autoimmune thing going on or maybe there's been some unidentified set of environmental exposures.

You'd think there's be something published on it in the google scholar database if just to debunk it.

[Bozita]

24. Last week, troops in Iraq were getting a skin disease

Highest incidence was in troops assigned to Stryker vehicles.

Possible DU?

[Must_B_Free]

25. all they need is some neem or tea tree oil

[Vanje]

46. Colloidal Silver

That'll fix em up

[depakid]

48. that'll fix 'em up nicely- crawling skin plus Argyria....

Here's what colloidal silver can can do:

Argyria

[Pooka Fey]

29. Fibromyalgia used to be considered "a delusional syndrome/condition"

Thankfully there were people who wouldn't give up and doctors who listened.

[mordarlar]

30. Weird coincidance...

About 3 weeks ago i began ITCHING like mad. I do not have medical insurance so i decided to wait it out a few days and see what happened. It was HORRIFIC I wanted to tear at my skin the itching was so bad. Now i live in Ohio so nowhere near these people and had NOT YET heard anything about this. The worse this itching became the more i began to think it MUST BE somehow related to some sort of parasite. I decided to go in to see the Dr. after the weekend. Then as soon as it came it just STOPPED. Nothing. Who knows. It was different than anything i have ever experienced. Strange timing that right after it these people all came out saying this.

[displacedtexan]

32. I had this last year, and I'm in Baltimore.

I thought it was something I ate, namely a frozen Chinese Rice dinner I had bought at the grocery store. That was the only thing that everyone else in the house hadn't eaten... just me.

It really did feel like things crawling under my skin.

Two weeks of steroids and powerful antibiotics cured it, but it scared me to death.

And I'm not afraid of bugs. I grew up in Texas.

[DARE to HOPE]

42. If you suspect a parasite

look in the health food store for Hulda Clarke's books. You can also find out about zappers though her.

Any itch is a call to build up the nerves--less caffeine and sugar and stress, more calcium (mag, vit D) and especially B vitamins. Also try coconut oil to really settle the nerves, along with a sardine or anchovie every so often.

[retread]

44. I live in Florida and our governor makes my skin crawl! n/t

[lala_rawraw]

45. What are they up to?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x105585