Small community demands answers as mysterious brain disease leaves residents paralyzed
The new leader of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, Premier Susan Holt, has reopened an investigation into the illness that causes dementia-like symptoms and partial paralysis.
Since DailyMail.com last reported on the cases, there have been over a dozen more who – affecting an estimated 450 people in the area, and mainly people on the Acadian peninsula.
There have been 40 deaths, according to the premier.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, a national organization under the purview of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, had previously offered $5million in funding to the province to investigate the cases.
The New Brunswick Public Health department conducted its own investigation without utilizing the funds, and concluded there was no cluster of brain disease in the area. Rather, the department said the patients had been misdiagnosed and actually had dementia and cancer.
Now, Premier Holt announced she plans to relaunch an inquiry, using the $5million initially offered by federal authorities.
She said: ‘I think we need to be doing everything we can to shed some light on this and find a way to stop what’s making people sick.’
This adds fuel to a vocal minority of health officials in the area, led by New Brunswick neurologist Dr Alier Marrero, who have publicly insisted something sinister is going on in the area.