Analysis of 'undiagnosed neurological illness' underway, too soon to talk possible source, says doctor

The New Brunswick government has begun the "data analysis phase" of its investigation into undiagnosed neurological symptoms affecting hundreds of people in seven provinces and whether environmental substances, such as heavy metals and pesticides, are a factor.

Dr. Yves Léger, the chief medical officer of health, made the announcement during a briefing in Fredericton Thursday.

His office has now received completed enhanced surveillance forms for 222 of nearly 400 patients from Dr. Alier Marrero, the Moncton neurologist who first sounded the alarm about a possible mystery disease several years ago, he said.

Staff believe this is "enough complete and verified patient data" to begin the next phase of the investigation, he said. "I'm therefore glad to say that that activity is now underway with the support of the Public Health Agency of Canada."

The province created the enhanced surveillance forms for Marrero to fill out in early 2023 because the standard one-page notifiable diseases and events notification forms did not provide enough data, Léger said. Other jurisdictions have used such forms when they need to collect additional information on "an issue that's of concern," he said. 

A public report with recommendations is expected this summer, and updates will be provided throughout the process with the help of a new website, Léger said.

It was early 2021 when the public learned that Public Health was monitoring more than 40 New Brunswick patients with symptoms similar to those of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and fatal brain disease. Symptoms range from painful muscle spasms and hallucinations to memory loss and behavioural changes.

The first case dated back to 2015, according to an internal memo.

An investigation under the former Higgs government concluded in February 2022 that the patients did not have a common illness.

An oversight committee that included six neurologists found "potential alternative diagnoses" for 41 of the 48 patients, including Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, post-concussion syndrome and cancer.

According to a letter Marrero wrote to federal and provincial officials last month, the number of patients suffering from unexplained neurological symptoms has jumped to 507 across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., Newfoundland, Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.

Fifty people have died.

Patient advocate Stacie Quigley Cormier, whose stepdaughter Gabrielle Cormier, 23, is one of the youngest patients in the original cluster, worries the new investigation will end much like the first one — with few clear answers.

"It feels very similar to the last investigation where they reviewed files and then they wrote a report," said Quigley Cormier, of Dalhousie Junction.