Please write Mike Leavitt

[pez1103]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services oversees the CDC. Please write (or FAX) them to ask them to get the CDC to MOVE. (You can also use the body of this letter to write your US senators and representatives.) Thanks for your help

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 615-F
Washington, D.C. 20201
Attn: Secretary Mike Leavitt

FAX 202-690-7203

Subject: Morgellons Disease- Immediate Action Needed by the CDC

Importance: Urgent

Dear Mr. Leavitt:

I am respectfully requesting that you contact the CDC to urge them to immediately commence their long-planned investigation of Morgellons disease and conduct this investigation as expeditiously as possible, in order to find answers for the tens of thousands of Americans suffering from this devastating illness.

It has been over one year since the CDC announced that they would conduct an investigation of Morgellons disease. As of today, no start date for the investigation has been set and nothing has been learned about how to treat or contain this disease.

This is an urgent issue which affects so many Americans. Hundreds of phone calls and letters have poured into the CDC from the public over the past few years asking for help, and the CDC has already received dozens of letters from US Senators and Representatives on this issue. In fact, the CDC has received more inquiries regarding Morgellons disease than any issue in the agency's history. Over 10,000 families have reported suffering from the symptoms of this serious, disfiguring and debilitating disease and have been desperately waiting for government help.

Although the CDC has publicly stated that they do not believe that the disease is infectious or contagious, many people have reported picking up the disease after contact with someone who suffers, and thousands of families have multiple family members who are affected.

The following are the reasons why immediate action is necessary:

- The cause and modes of transmission are unknown; therefore this disease may represent a serious public health threat to our nation.
- The optimal treatment for this disease has not yet been determined, although anti-microbial agents have been found to be useful in some cases.
- Most people with this illness report the inability to think or function normally, and many are now unable to work. In addition to the tremendous human suffering caused by this illness, it may soon place a huge financial burden on society, as many people with this disease are currently collecting social security disability, and many others are applying for it.
- The disease affects all age groups, including children, and some of these children are no longer able to attend school.
- The number of U.S citizens reporting this disease to the MRF has doubled in the past six months, which suggests either that awareness of the illness and the MRF is spreading or that the disease may be spreading in our nation. We feel that the number of MRF registrants represents a fraction of the true number of people with this illness.
- The disease is frequently misdiagnosed as Delusional Parasitosis. Sadly, patients are often dismissed by health care practitioners, and have difficulty receiving treatment for very serious physical ailments.
- More than one hundred doctors have contacted the Morgellons Research Foundation seeking treatment advice for patients, whom they believe have Morgellons disease.
- Fast-paced research is desperately needed to discover the cause of Morgellons disease, and to pinpoint optimal treatments.

I appreciate your consideration of this vital issue. Please contact me as soon as possible to let me know how you will address my concerns.


Sincerely,

[pez1103]

If you cannot send a letter or a FAX, you can email it to his assistant at denise.schwarz@hhs.gov