Aspergillus...THE fungal player

[Kritters]

Picking up from where it was left off at Kammy's photo thread....

I believe aspergillus is the player in my situation. I'm not letting Candida off the hook, and for all I know...they may be intimately related. Who would know, but us??

I found info from a great site many of you may already know about www.lyme-fiber-disease.com

and I have my own photos to compare.

Bingo.

After reading the implications of aspergillus to hearing loss (which I have) and tinnitis (which I have) and the fact that it is ubiquitous in soil and basically everywhere else, I believe this to be a major player.

IN LOOKING AT ALL THE PHOTOS....I'M WONDERING IF THE HYPHAE SECTION OF THE FUNGUS ASPERGILLUS SPORE, WHEN SEPARATED FROM THE FLOWERING SPUD AT TOP ISN'T IN FACT THE FIBERS.


http://www.morgellons-disease-resear...spergillus.jpg

http://www.morgellons-disease-resear...spergillus.jpg
those were from my body
Lyme-Fiber-Disease - Aspergillus

KRITTERS

[Katinka]

Hi Kritts,
I'm so glad you picked this up again. Yes, I believe that Aspergillus plays a main part in all of this mess. And as Kammy's microscopical photos have shown this is evidently true...and if your photos show the same as you say then I say also 'Bingo'...Yeah!

This fungus is one of the most ubiquitous not only in soil but also in buildings which can lead to infectious lung and sinus problems or like in your case over the sinuses leading to the inner ear and causing problems there.

I have noticed that many people I have talked to tend to clear their throats every few minutes..always with a little cough.

Humid/warm weather conditions let fungi thrive so I believe that many Morgellons Sufferers (located in humid areas such as Florida) are dealing with this and/or other fungi.

And...if I think about it...hmm...hyphae are fibers? Could be...you know there is a fungal infection caused by so called Thread/Fiber Fungi? uh huh...my dermatologist diagnosed this after taking skin samples from my scalp...she said: red thread fungus..(Trichophytum rubrum) isn't that something??

Katink

[-----------]

Originally Posted by Kammy

I've got to do a couple more experiments on the 'black specks' aka A. Niger and verify that what I have seen in all samples so far isn't a variable that comes in the dish as part of the nutrients.

I'll be switching culture mediums and re-running tests - as soon as that darn, I've been waiting on it, Microscope gets here!

But, since you and Kat have verified it from your samples - I say run with the ball! Go for it!

I should be doing more testing soon.

A re-post...

[hilly]

That sounds exactly like what I have, brownish flecks and plugs coughed up in the sputum... and I'm convinced it all origninated from the contaminated soil and plants... hmm interesting...

[Kritters]

Yep, Kam, Kat, Hills!

When I blow my nose (when sinuses are acting up) there are always brownish red specs I attributed to just blood specs. I swear I will order some petri dishes (see what I mean Kam? How long have I been saying that?) LOL.....

I'm sure mosquitos can pass this around also, since they breed in shallow standing water. And the same ticks that have Borrelliosis can also be carrying this fungus.

When I get my dishes, I'm going to start culturing EVERYTHING I can get my hands on.

Gotta go in a few TO THE NATUROPATHIC MD !!!!!!! YAAAAAY!

XOXOXO
Kritts

[tcmgpt13]

Interesting earlier forum posts from May 2007 (Paul posted this information quite some time ago including his information about chlorhexidine):

Originally Posted by 10meters

I have written many emails to Tamtam, (Bell Van Eeden) the dutch microbiologist who has the Morgellon pathogen in culture and has studied it extensively . He told me to wash the skin with selsun blue, citric acid mixed in shampoo, alternating with chlorhexidine 2 % suspension everyday. This solution can be purchased in gallon form at amazon.com for $12. Has anyone tried it? Has anyone had some success? This stuff may also be helpful in cleaning the sticky substances off your countertops.

Also, when starting an antibiotic/antifungal regimen, Van Eeden also recommends taking aspirin to increase penetration of the antibiotics. He also says that it will help regulate reactions.

Listed below is an article about the use of antimicrobials on the skin.


Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie,Hopital Pontchaillou, Rennes, France.

BACKGROUND: Invasive


* Surveillance of Aspergillus galactomannan antigenemia for invasive aspergillosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in neutropenic patients treated for hematological malignancies. [Hematol J. 2000] PMID: 11920178

Efficacy of antiseptics and disinfectants on clinical and environmental yeast isolates in planktonic and biofilm conditions.


Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, UFR des Sciences Medicales, 2 avenue du Professeur Leon Bernard--CS 34317, 35043 Rennes, France.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of five antiseptics, three surface disinfectants and UV radiation against a wide range of clinical and environmental yeast isolates. Their efficacy against pure cultures, yeast mixtures and biofilms (prepared by culturing yeasts in Sabouraud broth containing a final concentration of 8% glucose) was tested. Three clinical isolates of Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Rhodotorula rubra, and two environmental isolates of Candida albicans and Cryptococcus uniguttulatus were selected. For seven out of eight biocides tested (Betadine, Dermacide, Chlorhexidine, Dosisepsine, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, 70% alcohol, 0.5% Ecodiol) and for UV radiation, susceptibility did not differ according to genus, species or origin. Hydrogen peroxide, 0.25% Ecodiol and UV radiation were ineffective against the five isolates tested. On pure planktonic cultures, and, to a lesser extent, on free-living yeast mixtures, the other products were active and were then tested against biofilms: eight out of nine biocides were ineffective. Chlorhexidine at 0.5% was the only fungicidal agent on pure cultures, yeast mixtures and biofilms. The importance of the test method, including agent concentration, is discussed.

Originally Posted by 10meters

JCNME,

"You can wash with over the counter selsun and alternate with a home made citric acid solution (one tea spoon citric acid on 300ml warm water add
one tea spoon neutral shampoo shake and use all for one go. Rinse (shower) after one minute or more." Tamtam states

Alternate this solution with Chlorexidine 2% suspension, selsun blue. This you apply all over the skin. But you should be careful not to over treat. Your skin will tell you if you do.

So you treat the skin using three different suspensions.

These external measures will reduce bacterial and fungal load on the skin.

Van Eeden recommends doing these treatment steps combined with medication suggested would be terbinafine 250 mg + itraconazole 100
up to 200 mg per day. These are both antifungals.
You will be able to knock down the infection significantly and in young cases probably will able to cure."

Van Eeden believes that medical consensus will come soon as CDC has come up with conclusion and a therapeutic approach will come soon.

But I don't believe that the CDC will come up with anything and I will not wait for them to finally come on board and help us. After all, the head psychologist of the CDC, Gordon Hughes, Isaid they were calling off the Morgellons study back in February '07 because they couldn't find anything.

Originally Posted by 10meters

Hey everyone,

Here is a link to the Chlorhexine solution.

Amazon.com: Chlorhexidine Solution gallon: Kitchen & Dining

Product Description
Topical aqueous cleaning solution used on dogs and horses for superficial cuts, abrasions or insect stings. Effective against organisms that infect the skin (bacteria, fungi, ringworm & yeast). Dilute 2 Tbsp solution per 1 gallon of water. Contains 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate.

Hope it helps,

Will purchase it myself also to test.

Paul H.

[-----------]

Yes, Paul, I have recommended Chlorhexidine Gluconate before - I have a bottle of it that I got from my dentist. I use it from time to time - I might want to try some on a lesion?

It cuts biofilm in the mouth, so I assume it will cut biofilms elsewhere?

It has a wonderful taste and I did some research on it and has a lot of wonderful properties, you can tell it's doing something beneficial in the mouth.

TamTam... hmmm? We should pay attention!

Paul, will you re-post this info over in the 'Working on a cure' thread - we might can use this valuable information somehow?

[-----------]

I'm fussing at everyone who has a camera microscope and has made photographic contributions in the past.

Until we can get two or three of us in agreement and showing that we are all seeing the same things - we will remain in this 'stuck' place!

And, this is done through Petri Dishes!!!

I'm half-asped trying to figure this out, it's frustrating. You can't depend on one person's findings in science, you have others to verify their work. UNTIL we can positively identify these 'things' by consensous... THEN we will know how to more accurately doctor it! How can we fight something when we don't know what the hail it is?

People are beginning to send me solicited samples, they want to know what's inside them - if you aren't producing lesion debris - someone will give you something to look at, just ask them. From what I'm finding - most anything Morgellons related coming out of our skin - will grow. One sample had mineral oil on the pieces and still cultured.

If you're concerned about coming into contact with other people's pathogens, well... just be careful and use good handling procedures. Use common sense, wear latex gloves, wash up after culturing, etc. Once it's in the dish - it stays in the dish and is not hopping out to get you. The dish is like a glue that holds it, it's not going to fly out when you go to look at it, and don't remove it from the dish. Tape the dish up and throw it away after viewing.

It could be that most microscopes will not allow you to adjust the eyepiece to where a Petri Dish will fit on the stand for viewing? You have to consider this. If your lens will not raise up to where an opened Petri Dish will fit for viewing, then... you might want to consider the cheap ones, with USB cameras, that will do this? That's better than nothing, right now.

Baraka was telling me how he got a better microscope than he had on Craigslist for $30, he says, just do a search in your area, and you will find people are practically giving them away.

Now... I've fussed... I'm over it... lol just saying...

[Kritters]

B...b...b...but Kam....

I said I would!!! Yikes!



Kritts

[-----------]

Originally Posted by Kritters

B...b...b...but Kam....

I said I would!!! Yikes!



Kritts

Well... it's abt time... (*smile). Come on Kritts, we can solve this mystery of the century!