How Does Morgellons Differ From Other Skin Parasite Diseases?

It is unknown if Morgellons is caused by parasites on the skin. However, because the most visible symptom of the disease involves the skin, it is worth comparing to other skin parasite diseases. Many researchers hypothesize that Morgellons is caused by an unknown parasite. Some critics think that certain cases of self-diagnosed Morgellons disease are actually recognized skin disorders.

The signs of a skin parasite infection include nonhealing lesions or sores, fibers on the lesions where parasites reside, intense itching, hair loss, stinging or biting, chronic fatigue, brain fog, and joint pain and swelling. A combination of some of the symptoms might indicate co-infestations, which is not uncommon for Morgellons and Lyme disease. When skin parasites weaken the immune system, it is easier for another parasite to attack the body.

Scabies is probably the parasitic disease that can be most closely compared to Morgellons. The main symptom of scabies is severe itching occurring over a long period of time, most often in the underarms and between the fingers. This itching is especially intense at night. Scabies is caused by mites that burrow into the upper layers of the skin. Scabies also causes very distinctive lesions. The shared lesions and the itching are clues that indicate Morgellons may indeed be of a parasitic nature.

Scabies has an advantage over Morgellons because doctors are willing to correctly diagnose the disease. It is unusual for patients suffering from scabies to report the sensation of bugs crawling on their skin. The itching and lesions are not mistaken for psychosis and self-mutilations. Thus, it is not common practice for scabies to be misdiagnosed as a psychological disorder.

Are there any other parasitic diseases with symptoms involving the sensation of bug crawling under the skin? Although it has been suggested that parasites known as Collembola may cause a similar sensation, there is much dispute over whether this parasite can infest humans. Usually found in leaf litter and other decaying materials, Collembola has been reportedly turning up in human hair and skin. Like Morgellons, doctors are hesitant to believe that the parasite can infest humans so a diagnosis of delusional parasitosis is often made.

Studying the lesions and fibers from Morgellons patients is important. That is why no headway has been made in the medical community. The fibers and lesions are dismissed as self-mutilation, and no genuine effort to examine them is made. However, researchers at the Morgellons Research Foundation have begun to focus their efforts on genetic investigations of DNA found within the lesions and fibers taken from skin of Morgellons patients in hopes of uncovering the underlying cause of the disease. They, along with other researchers, believe that solving the mystery of Morgellons lies in unlocking the secrets contained in the fibers.

It may be easier to develop treatment if the cause of Morgellons is parasitic. Doctors insisting that the disease is all in the heads of the sufferers are hampering any effective cure or treatment. If more doctors were willing to explore the disease, a cure might come more quickly. Fortunately, the CDC has recently felt compelled to investigate the disease. Their investigation may just be the break Morgellons patients have been waiting for.