It all started when a partner who I had been sexually active with in the past told me that I might have crabs. I treated with lice shampoo and tea tree oil though I didn't feel itchy at all. Within a few months an itchy rash on my chest developed. I didn't think much of it at the time and just kind of brushed it off. Gradually the rash spread to other parts of my body including my face. I begin feeling the crawling sensation on my skin at night when I was laying in bed followed by a sharp pain where a new bump would be when I awoke in the morning. Sometimes when I feel the crawling I will rub the area only to find small white oval shaped thing that I can only assume is the culprit. I went to the doctor who told me I was suffering from hives and used Google image search to prove it to me. I've noticed a large concentration of these around my computer monitor, I will wipe my desk clean then the next day find many of these white things all over my desk. I've been suffering from this affliction for over a year now and have still not been able to identify or rid myself of these pests. The worst part is that friends and relatives now seem to be suffering from the same thing and I have no idea how to combat them.

Possible causes and links to information is greatly appreciated.

Could be mites, scabies, bed bugs, chiggers.. or morgellins (a new disease that has doctors baffled) , fortunately I haven't experienced any of these infestations myself, but I have heard about them. You can easily look this all up online..

Good luck

Since you can find them, your best bet is to catch some samples and take them to be identified. Once you know what they are you can find out how to get rid of them.

One of the best sampling methods is to catch them with transparent cellophane tape and affix them to a plain notecard. I normally recommend white but in this case maybe brown would be better since the things are white. Maybe both.

Take the card to be examined under a magnifier. These can be found at your local university's biology dept, your county agricultural extension office, or a reputable exterminator's office.

The possibilities are so vast as to what they could be that a definite i.d. has to be your next step.

It definitely isn't bed bugs(you would have changed your sheets by now, I hope), chiggers, or pubic lice. Parasites are really a medical and not a pest control issue.