CDC and Morgellons

Morgellons and The CDC

I know that so many of you have written to Congress or written or phoned the CDC. There are letters from congressmen to the CDC asking for action around since 2004. Well the CDC has finally acknowledged there is a problem to some extent. They have created a page specifically for morgellons on their official site now. This is a step forward and we now await for some answers to come forward as soon as possible.

In June 2007, the CDC opened a website on "Unexplained Dermopathy (aka "Morgellons")", stating, "CDC is working with public health and other medical professionals to identify potential sites for the epidemiologic investigation. On August 1, 2007, the CDC issued a formal Request for Quotations for an epidemiologic investigation of Morgellons.

According to the CDC the goals of the investigation are to, describe the features of the disease and to generate hypotheses about possible risk factors.

CDC Director Julie Louis Gerberding said the center is currently looking into an appropriate course of action to address the nationwide concern about Morgellons. CDC also is working with task force members to develop a scientific protocol, including an initial screening case definition for the epidemiologic investigation.

The 12-person CDC task force includes two pathologists, a toxicologist, an ethicist, a mental health expert and specialistsin infectious, parasitic, environmental and chronic disease.

The CDC has been receiving as many as 20 calls a day from self-diagnosed Morgellons patients.

The CDC plans to identify a database of potential cases (study cohort) by November 30, 2007.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are aunching a study of Morgellons disease "We're oing into this with an open mind," said Dan Rutz, spokesman for the CDC Morgellons task force that first met in June2006.

To learn more about Morgellons disease or to report suspected cases of Morgellons disease, call the CDC Morgellons information and voice mail line at 404-718-1199.