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

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

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

*Anti-Bb immunostaining performed at McClain Laboratory, Smithtown, NY, except for the skin culture from patient 3.
**Anti-Bb immunostaining performed at the University of New Haven, West Haven, CT.
***SEM revealed well-defined spirochetes with periplasmic flagella.

ISSN: 1471-5945