described them on the internet. the los angeles times, in an article on morgellons, notes that "he recent upsurge in symptoms can be traced directly to the internet, following the naming of the disease by mary leitao, a pennsylvania mother". in 2008, the washington post reported that internet discussions about morgellons include many conspiracy theories about the cause, including biological warfare, nanotechnology, chemtrails and extraterrestrial life. the atlantic says it "even received pop-culture attention" when it was featured on criminal minds, adding that "morgellons patients have further alienated themselves from the mainstream medical community" by "linking morgellons to another illness viewed skeptically by most doctors, chronic lyme disease, and by attacking those who doubt their condition".