Scientists Pursue Connection between Infectious Disease Afflicting Cattle and Morgellons Disease Affecting HumansProgress moves forward as more research shows Morgellons disease has a physiologic (physical not mental) basis.
The Morgellons break through started with the research publication, Filament Formation Associated with Spirochetal Infection: a comparative approach to Morgellons Disease by Marianne Middelveen, a Canadian veterinary microbiologist and Raphael Stricker, MD. The CEHF first announced this news last fall when this peer reviewed publication appeared in the November, 2011 issue of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257881
Why is this important?
In November, 2011, Middelveen and Stricker reported to have found evidence of a veterinary analog to Morgellons (MD). BDD, an infectious disease which has plagued cattle for decades, has fibers/filaments within their tissue and lesions that were recognized as a match to those found in the controversial disease known as Morgellons (MD) in humans. Studies on fibers/filaments from cattle with the bovine hoof disease and those found in MD suffers provided startling evidence challenging the dermatologists’ unfounded assumption that MD is a psychiatric disorder called “Delusions of Parasitosis”. Anyone who suffers from Morgellons knows how real these symptoms are and how disheartening it is to be told it is all in your head. Although the publication stated that the etiology (cause) of MD was not yet known, the findings by Middelveen and Stricker provided corroborative evidence to support a physiological and, perhaps, infectious etiology, lending a new direction for further research.
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Results of the Study …
These findings confirmed that filaments/fibers from both bovine and human samples were similar in formation at the cellular level and had the chemical and physical properties of keratin. The composition of MD filaments from humans was confirmed to be keratin by immunohistological staining with antibodies specific for human keratins. Fibers from three human patients were found to be biological in origin and are produced by keratinocytes in epithelial and follicular tissues.
An interesting side note is that researchers Middelveen and Stricker found filaments/fibers associated with MD beneath unbroken skin as well as in lesions, thus, demonstrating they are not self-implanted. This confirms previous research from Dr. Randy Wymore at the OSU-Center for the Investigation of Morgellons Disease.
Why is this important?
The original premise--that MD is physiological is holding up to the test of scientific scrutiny.
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MD is not Delusions of Parasitosis.
MD, like BBD, has a true physical cause. “ … Because BDD is a disease in which spirochetes have been identified as primary etiologic agents, and spirochetal sero-reactivity has been associated with MD, it is reasonable to assume that spirochetal infection plays an important role in MD... Further immunohistological and electron microscopy studies are needed to solve the mystery of Morgellons …” (Middelveen and Stricker). This points the way to the next step in our research.
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