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Filaments leached from skin pores & lesions
Bright blue, red, transparent, black and jade filaments - these are the defining, identifying element of morgellons disease.
Multiple forensic tests (FTIR, mass-spec) at multiple locations have confirmed that the Morgellons filaments are not yet identifiable as a known compound. The filaments are a fairly pure organic compound containing: carbon (single & double bonds), hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, at least one methyl group, maybe a sulfur group and a few unclear FTIR peaks (Wymore, 2009).
Some filament
samples are flattened, ribbon-like, others are embedded or attached to larger
debris.
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| x400. Width of filaments average between 15-35 microns and vary in lengths. Many are just visible to the naked eye and are air-bourne with ease. | x1000. Filaments are quite heat resistant and not dissolvable in lab-type solvents or detergents. The red & blue colors of the analyzed filaments are neither commercial dyes nor pigments (Wymore, 2010). | x600. Transparent filaments are generally shed from skin pores at a greater rate than other colours. They are readily air-bourne and may cause skin irritation. |
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| The blue and transparent filaments have auto-fluorescing properties, according to microbiologist Jenny Haverty (2004), Dr Kilani (2007) and Robert Smith (2006). | x400. Red and black filaments leached from scalp. | x400. Blue and jade filaments leaching out of skin. Jade is the least common colour. |
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| x300. Sufferers report leaching black specs or mites from their skin. Under the microscope, these are often filament bundles. | x300. Filament bundle leached from skin pore using warm saline solution. | x300. Translucent filament bundle. |
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| x200. Branching filament from skin lesion. Possibly insect extending spiracles and respiratory tract. | x400. Some filaments have small branching filaments at right angles. DNA analysis does not indicate fungal origin (Wymore, 2010). | x1000. Sample from skin lesion. Possibly an adult insect's salivary gland. |
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| x1000. Possiblly adult insect organs, including adult trachea (pink). | Sample length 1mm. Extraction from jawline pimple with dimethyl sulfoxide. | Sample length 2mm. Leached from skin nodule using grapefruit extract. Note parallel trachea-like filaments. |
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| x600. Black filaments are often found at one end of a larva-like sample. Sometimes appearing as 'C' shapes. | Sample length 1.5mm. Leached from forearm. Readily oxidised via application of H202. | x600. Facial sample with refracting or florescing granules on surface. |
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| Sample length 800 microns. Leached from facial skin pore with neem oil. | Sample length 1mm. Leached from skin pore with isoprol mystrate. | x200. Sample leached from intact skin with warm saline solution. Note blue filament. Click here for insect related micrographs. |