What is this mysterious brain disease everyone is talking about?
A brain disease has affected 200 in New Brunswick, Canada, Daily Mail has reported. Citing experts, media reports say that the cases date back to 2015 and are mostly seen in people aged between 18 to 84 years. "But some health experts and local residents say the number of people with the condition is much higher — and may exceed 200," the New Yorker Post reported.
What are the symptoms of this disease?
Reports say the disease is characterized by dementia-like symptoms which include hallucinations, vision trouble, loss of memory, difficulty in reading and writing, abnormal movements, paralysis, and other neurological symptoms. In 2015, a total of 48 cases related to the disease were reported.
Are blue-green algae responsible for this?
While the exact cause of the disorder is yet to be announced officially, health officials have said that it might be due to contamination due to blue-green algae from water sources. Exposure to the herbicide glyphosate, which helps the growth of the algae, is also said to be another reason.
An investigation on this was closed in May 2021
As per a report by The Guardian, the New Brunswick government closed the investigation on these environmental toxins and said there was no evidence of this mystery illness. "An independent oversight committee, created by the province, determined the patients in the “cluster” were most likely misdiagnosed and were suffering from known illnesses like cancer and dementia," the media reported.
"I am concerned about young-onset and early-onset neurological syndrome"
Dr. Alier Marrero, a neurologist, wrote a letter to New Brunswick’s chief medical officer and the chief federal public health officer in January 2023 with an aim to bring the attention of the authorities to the increasing number of young onset of the brain disorder. In the letter, which has been cited by several media, the neurologist writes that over the past year, he had been following these cases out of which 57 are early-onset cases and 41 are young-onset cases, and the patients are between 17 and 80 years old.
The case of 23-year-old Gabriel Cormier
23-year-old Gabriel Cormier had a passion for figure skating, but unfortunately, she had to give up due to this neurological condition. As per reports, Gabriel experienced dementia-like signs like loss of memory, difficulty in remembering things, and vision trouble. She could not stand for long periods and gradually she relied on cane and wheelchair. Since 2019, she has been relying on assisted movement.
Why are kids dying of heart diseases? Here are key questions answered by doctors