New Brunswick is beginning the next phase of its inquiry into a mysterious brain disease that has impacted hundreds of individuals in the province in recent years and may be linked to environmental factors, the chief medical officer says.
Dr. Yves Léger announced during a March 27 press conference that his office has finally received enough verified patient data to partner with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to conduct an analysis.
The inquiry builds on an investigation launched in 2021 when 48 patients began presenting similar neurological issues.
Léger’s office will now collaborate with the federal health agency to examine 222 patient files as a next step in its investigation into the rash of “undiagnosed neurological” illnesses, he said.
“I know many New Brunswickers, including affected patients and their families, are concerned about this issue, and so are we,” Léger said.
“We want to get answers for these patients. The results of this analysis and scientific investigation will help us to determine what next steps are needed.”
The main purpose of the current investigation is to gain a deeper insight into potential environmental factors, Léger said, noting that the physician referring cases to public health has flagged chemical exposure as a possibility.
Heavy metals and pesticides are the most likely culprits, Léger said, noting that his office is specifically looking into exposure to glyphosate and its metabolites and glufosinate, which are both herbicides.
“If the findings of that review indicate that there are elevated levels of certain environmental substances in patients … then one of the next steps may be [determining] how are they being exposed,” he said.
“We have the best interest of the patients at heart and we certainly want to get to the bottom of this. It’s taken longer than we’d like … but we are committed to this investigation.”
While the majority of the nearly 400 cases are New Brunswick residents, Léger said he has received 16 reports of illness from patients in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta.
Nova Scotia Connection
N.S. Independent MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin began calling for answers about the mystery illness last year when she learned residents from her riding of Cumberland North were also falling ill. Amherst, the largest town in Cumberland County, is just minutes from the New Brunswick border. It is in close proximity to the northeastern corner of New Brunswick where many of the mysterious brain illnesses were appearing three years ago.Some of the reported symptoms of the unknown illness include delusions, blurred vision, hallucinations, bouts of aggression or other behavioural changes, memory problems, pain in the arms or legs, repetitive speech, imbalance, and sudden weight loss.
The province first initiated an investigation in 2021 when 48 patients of a single neurologist began exhibiting symptoms of unknown origin. The physician reported these cases to Public Health New Brunswick (PHNB).
PHNB determined the patients were not suffering from a shared illness, after seeking opinions from six other neurologists in the province.
By early 2023, the neurologist who initially notified PHNB about the first group of cases said more of his patients were reporting unusual symptoms. Since that time, nearly 400 individuals have come forward with reports of symptoms including memory issues, severe pain, and muscle spasms.
The office of the chief medical officer of health and the Vitalité Health Network have been working with the neurologist since then to gather and validate the necessary patient information required for further investigation, Léger said.
The joint investigation with PHAC is expected to be completed by this summer and a report will be issued detailing the findings and recommending next steps, he said.
