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Table 3 Microscopic examination of sectioned culture pellets with Dieterle or Warthin Starry silver nitrate stain and anti-Bb polyclonal immunostain

From: Exploring the association between Morgellons disease and Lyme disease: identification of Borrelia burgdorferi in Morgellons disease patients

Patient # Inoculum type Culture fluid Dieterle Bb polyclonal immunostain*
3 Skin Motile spirochetes Spirochetes Positive**
3 Blood Motile bacteria Spirochetes Positive
4 Skin Motile spirochetes Not submitted Not submitted
4 Blood Motile bacteria Not submitted Not submitted
6 Skin*** Little growth observed Spirochetes Positive
7 Blood Spherules Spherules Positive
8 Blood Spherules Spirochetes Positive
8 Vaginal Motile spherules Spherules Positive
9 Skin Little growth, single long motile spirochete Not submitted Not submitted
13 Skin Spherules/motile elongated bacteria Spirochetes/ spherules Positive
13 Blood Spherules Spirochetes/ spherules Positive
14 Blood Spherules Not submitted Not submitted
14 Vaginal Motile spirochetes Not submitted Not submitted
17 Blood Spherules Spirochetes/ spherules Positive
21 Skin Spherules/ spirochetes Not submitted Not submitted
21 Vaginal Motile spherules Spherules Positive
24 Blood Spherules/ Motile bacteria Not submitted Not submitted
24 Vaginal Motile spirochetes Not submitted Not submitted
  1. *Anti-Bb immunostaining performed at McClain Laboratory, Smithtown, NY, except for the skin culture from patient 3.
  2. **Anti-Bb immunostaining performed at the University of New Haven, West Haven, CT.
  3. ***SEM revealed well-defined spirochetes with periplasmic flagella.
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