The new web page was published on Tuesday. It gives an overview of the ongoing investigation in the governorate to determine the cause of the disease, lists symptoms and draws a picture of the cases that have been identified.
Since the start of 2020, doctors in New Brunswick have identified a number of people with an unusual combination of neurological symptoms. Despite extensive investigations, the diagnosis has yet to be established for these people.
Can we read this page.
In March, Radio Canada announced the existence of this disease, after receiving a public health note addressed to the Medical Association and associations of doctors and nurses. The memo dated March 5 reported 43 affected cases and 5 deaths. Four more cases and one death have been reported since the publication of this note.
The medical examinations conducted so far exclude the possibility of developing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or other prion diseases. Scientists are looking into the possibility that this could be a new disease.
The new webpage indicates that symptoms began in 2018, 2019, or 2020 in most cases. One case developed symptoms in 2020 early in 2013.
As for the number of dead six, the webpage specified that In some cases, more information is needed to determine if the cause of death was due to this neurological syndrome of unknown cause.
Of the 47 cases studied, they were women (51%) and men (49%) ages 18 to 85. The web page does not specify exactly where these people live:
At the time of their referral from a healthcare provider, most of the patients surveyed lived in the southeast and northeast regions of New Brunswick, the Acadian Peninsula, and the region of Moncton. However, our investigation has not yet found any evidence indicating that residents of these areas are at greater risk than those who live elsewhere in the province.
The main symptoms are:
- Poor memory;
- Muscle spasms
- Balance problems, difficulty walking or falling.
- Blurred vision or visual hallucinations.
- Significant and unexplained weight loss.
- Behavioral changes
- Pain in arms or legs.
The webpage adds that Public Health is working with several regional and federal government agencies and departments to investigate the origin of the cases:
- New Brunswick’s Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries;
- Natural Resource and Energy Development Administration in New Brunswick;
- Department of the Environment and Local Government of New Brunswick;
- Public Health Canada Agency;
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
It is possible to refer to the government web page (A new window) from now on.
