People affected by the condition report skin sensations of crawling, biting and stinging, and the presence of granules, threads, fibers or tiny black matter on or beneath their skin. Some people also report fatigue, mental confusion, short term memory loss, joint pain and changes in vision.

The CDC awarded a $338,000 contract to the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research to assist in the study. CDC officials said they plan to enroll patients in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California Health Plan in the study.

"CDC is taking a multifaceted approach to this investigation with other external partners including the Armed Forces Pathology Institute," said Dr. Michele Pearson, the study's principal investigator. Pearson said the primary goals are to describe the clinical and epidemiological features of the condition and to identify possible risk factors.

Pearson said the research is expected to take at least a year to complete.