[sarothra]

I KNOW WHAT CAUSES MORGELLONS - more research is needed on specifics, but here are the basics:

One: We drink water infected with a microscopic aquatic organism, most likely Ascellus aquaticus, a common contaminant in water reservoirs.(EDIT 6/25/90: I now believe this NOT to be ascellus, but heterorhabditis, juvenile male, which has fins and looks aquatic. )It begins its life cycle in our body. This organism is bright green in color. It grows to a length of 3 inches or so under the skin. When the skin is heated up to very hot with a blow dryer, the "form" of this organism will show up under the skin. You will see three brown dots in the shape of a triangle, the center of its body will be the lesion (if a lesion is present, not all have lesions present at a given time), and then barely visible will be the outline of what looks like a fanned out tail.

Reference Katinka's picture of "hair with black fungus" - this is the aquatic organism covered with the fungus arthrobotrys. Note the eye bulges and arms. This organism is green when not covered by the fungus. There is a link to a woman who took a picture of one after she plucked it out of her bathtub. I'm trying to find that link again. It was on a Morgellons site. She was taking a bath in something that drew it out - she said it wiggled in the water, she took it out, it lived for a short time, then died. Then she took the picture. I need to find that site again. Someone here posted it.

Two: This aquatic organism is infected with a parasitic predatory fungi, Arthrobotrys. This predatory fungi puts out adhesive traps (the lesions of Morgellons) in an attempt to capture nematodes. These sticky traps contain an attractant that lures nematodes to the lesions. The fungus attracts the nematodes to capture and eat them. It is indiscriminate, however, in its choice of prey, and will also attract other insects, like moths, flies, lice, scabies, etc. That is why people pull these insects out of their skin. They have been lured, captured and eaten by the parasitic fungi. Yes, there are many different "bugs" involved in the skin of Morgellons' patients, all lured there by the attractant put out by our predatory fungus.

Three: Parasitic nematodes, heterohabdus bacteriophora, are abundant in our environment, having been introduced by the millions to kill undesirable insects and grubs in crops and on lawns. These look like fibers, but they are really nematodes. (there is a reason they are composed of polymers, more on that later). These nematodes are lured into the sticky traps (lesions) where one can occasionally find them inserted into the hair follicle. Yes, they move and undulate. They themselves are hunters but they have become the hunted.

Heterohabdus has a symbiotic relationship with a bacteria called photorhabdus luminescens. This bacteria helps them digest their prey. Remember, they are normally the hunters, but in this case, they have become the victims. This bacteria is cherry red and glows in the dark. Hence the lesions are cherry red in color (the red gel) and they glow under UV. That red color is the bacteria, not blood. The top of the lesions are often cherry red in color, that is if they are not black, from the fungus. Working down from the lesion, there will be the cherry red (photorhabdus), the black (arthrobotrys) and the green (ascellus) then another layer of black (more fungus, on the "back" side, if you will, of ascellus). Under that you may see tracks and you may pull worms out. These are the nematodes that have escaped being eaten and have taken up residence on our skin. Sometimes they become ONE WITH THE FUNGUS. Again, reference Katinka's picture on this site - the second set of pictures. (if I knew how to incorporate the pictures here I would , but alas, I don't)

Four: Both predatory species (heterohabdus and arthrobotrys) have been propagated on artificial diets of polymers mixed with animal fat. These polymers reduce the cost of production and also increase the shelf life. These fibers are everywhere in our environment, continually introduced into crops and lawns as as "environmentally safe" alternative to parasites. They are not known to attack humans, and they are not attacking us. They are driven by the intense chemical lure of this predatory fungus, to penetrate our skin, especially at the site of the lesions.

I have a post about this under "sticky nets" thread. More later.