Morgellons (also calle Morgellons disease or Morgellons syndrome) is a name given in 2002 by Mary Leitao to a proposed condition characterized by a range of self-described cutaneous (skin) symptoms including crawling, biting, and stinging sensations; finding fibers on or under the skin; and persistent skin lesions (e.g., rashes or sores), initially in her son. Despite the lack of evidence that it is a distinct condition, the absence of any agreed set of diagnostic symptoms, and the "extreme skepticism in mainstream medical circles, the federal government is now taking Morgellons seriously because of pressure from sufferers and the Morgellons Research Foundation, the nonprofit organization that Mary Leitao founded in 2002 and now runs out of her house in Pennsylvania."