Some words simplified for patients.
[MD=MORGELLONS] Bolding is from JS
Lyme disease and its cousin Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever[TBRF] "have been repeatedly and consistently detected in tissue and fluid specimens taken from MD subjects.8,9,12,13,15
Furthermore, using sensitive molecular methodologies, Lyme and TBRF have been directly detected and cultured from skin lesions demonstrating MD pathology,8,9,12,13,15–18 thus satisfying many of the criteria outlined in Fredricks and Relman’s molecular guidelines for establishing disease causation.
19 Borrelia spirochetes have been detected in MD tissue and body fluid specimens, both directly in dermatological specimens and in cultures from 25 North American MD patients using a combination of microscopic, histopathological and molecular methods.
Most of the Borrelia species detected were genetically identified as Bb sensu stricto (Bbss), but B. garinii and B. miyamotoi were also confirmed.12
In a separate study, 90% of a cohort of 30 MD patients tested positively for exposure to and/or infection with Borrelia spirochetes using serological and molecular techniques.
Of these, 53% of the cohort tested positive for Bb, RFB or both using PCR amplification and confirmatory sequencing.13 To date, to the best of our knowledge, five independent laboratories have confirmed the presence of Borrelia DNA in MD skin specimens using PCR technology and confirmatory DNA sequencing, and seven independent laboratories have detected Borrelia DNA by direct testing or in cultures of blood, genital secretions and skin specimens taken from MD patients.8,9,13,20
If sensitive and specific detection methods are used, the detection of Borrelia spirochetes directly in MD patient specimens is consistent and reproducible, thus providing evidence suggestive of causality....
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If you look at this paper you can see Lyme brightened by anti-Lyme immune highlighting agents that are very useful/ Consider looking at these Figures.
Middelveen MJ, Martinez RM, Fesler MC, Sapi E, Burke J, Shah JS, Nicolaus C, Stricker RB. Classification and Staging of Morgellons Disease: Lessons from Syphilis. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2020 Feb 7;13:145-164. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S239840. PMID: 32104041; PMCID: PMC7012249.