Is Morgellons Disease contagious? Many with Morgellons Disease have a great fear that what they carry is contagious and can spread to loved ones. Thankfully, there is no evidence that this will happen through physical touch, air, or close spaces. While the cause of Morgellons is unknown, there seems to be a consensus that it is vector-borne, such as through a tick bite. The right support and treatment can reduce fears and bring healing.
Patients who are overwhelmed with Morgellons Disease, as well as those around them, often wonder if the skin lesions, strange fibers, and crawling sensations can jump from one person to the next.
To many, this disease is a mystery. And this lack of understanding can result in debilitating fears. Is Morgellons Disease contagious? Can hugging a friend or kissing your partner spread the disease? Worrying about getting your kids, spouse, friends, and co-workers sick can be overwhelming.
Take a beat to learn the truth about the condition, empowering you with the knowledge you need to live confidently with Morgellons Disease.
What Is Morgellons? Here’s What We Know
Morgellons Disease comes with a range of strange, unusual symptoms that can be a bit perplexing. A few of the most common are sensations of crawling or biting on the skin, lesions with fibers, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties.
While the disease is very real and can significantly impact the lives of those who are infected, where it comes from isn’t exactly known. Even seasoned medical professionals are often left puzzled.
One theory is that it could stem from a tick-borne infection like Lyme disease, or other co-infections, since many Morgellons patients test positive for its Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Another is that it may have fungal or bacterial origins, or even have a psychological basis.
Nonetheless, as the researchers figure it out, patients are still left questioning whether or not Morgellons can be spread to family, friends, and even pets. Let’s take a closer look.
What Does “Contagious” Mean?
Even if something is contagious, it doesn’t mean that it can spread easily.
It is not unusual to use the word contagious when talking about how the flu or various illnesses like COVID-19 can be spread through person-to-person contact, bodily fluids, droplets, and contaminated surfaces. But while some illnesses can easily spread when sharing a drink with an infected person, others, such as Lyme disease, require a vector—a bite from an infected tick.
So, how does Morgellons work? Is it spread through droplets in the air? Through a tick? Let’s find out.
No Evidence Points to Transmission Through Casual Contact
Many Morgellon patients fear passing the condition on to those they love through human-to-human contact, but there is no credible scientific evidence that the disease can be transmitted in this manner. Worrying about this is often a waste of time. Doctors should minimize this concern as the research and data collected do not prove that it can spread through touch, respiratory droplets, or even shared items or space.
In the rare event that someone sharing close space also has Morgellons, a closer look usually finds shared exposure, such as living in a tick-heavy area, rather than assuming it was passed from an infected human.
What About the Fibers?
Since we are diving into it, we cannot overlook that many patients are concerned that the fibers within the skin lesions are infectious. Believe it or not, they are made up of nothing more than keratin and collagen, a byproduct of the skin cells’ reaction to infection or inflammation. Rest easy knowing that they do not carry the disease.
Transmission With the Vector Factor
There is the idea that perhaps Morgellons is spread through tick bites, much like Lyme disease. While this is very possible, it is important to remember that Lyme and its co-infections require a tick bite. It is not contagious from person to person on its own without the vector factor: a tick.
This provides a great explanation of how families can live together with only one person having Morgellons Disease, unless someone else may have also been bitten by an infected tick. In other words, the closeness itself will not lead to transmission.
Is Morgellons Even Real?
Due to the nature of the disease, it is easy for patients to start believing that the symptoms they are experiencing are all in their head—an unreal, psychiatric issue. And some doctors even support this line of thinking.
Sure, things like stress and mental health challenges can cause a physical reaction in the body, but that does not mean your Morgellons symptoms are not real. What you are feeling should never be dismissed or overlooked. Rather, it should be investigated.
At Lyme Mexico, we have heard the stories that so many of our patients have experienced. We have also encountered patients who have suffered much longer than necessary. This is why we take the time to perform in-depth testing to get to the root cause.
Time is of the essence.
Living With the Fear of Contagion
Realistically, you know that your Morgellons is not contagious, but that doesn’t mean you don’t still have some fear that it can infect those you are closest with. Dealing with unexplained symptoms that seem to have no real cause or cure under the direction of a medical professional who doesn’t understand the disease can leave you feeling helpless and fearful. It is isolating.
Does this sound familiar? If so, here are a few things you need to know.
- You are not dangerous to those around you. Let your guard down.
- You can still hug your kids, significant other, and loved ones.
- You can still attend social events.
- You are not contagious.
- You are not dirty or the cause of your symptoms.
You are dealing with a very real disease that is complex and treatable. You simply have to find the right medical team to move you toward healing.
That’s where we come in.
Take The Next Step Toward Healing
Many of our Morgellon patients come to us with the fear that they are contagious, so you are not alone. What’s more, there is no evidence that it can spread from human to human.
So, what if you could let go of this fear and find healing in your body and in your mind? Stop searching for answers. The team of specialists at Lyme Mexico knows how to confront this complex illness in a way that will give you hope. Travel outside the country, such as outside the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, or New Zealand and find alternate treatments that will give you relief.
Let us help you. Schedule a consultation and become a patient today.