Final report on neurological illness to be released in January: N.B. chief medical officer

The long-awaited final report on an undiagnosed neurological illness in N.B. is delayed until January.

The final report on an investigation into an undiagnosed neurological illness in New Brunswick that has sparked concerns for years will be released in January, according to the province’s chief medical officer of health.

New Brunswick first launched an investigation into cases of the mystery brain illness in 2021. The Office of the Chief Medical Officer studied a group of 48 patients and issued a report in February 2022, according to a news release from the province.

Some of the symptoms included sudden movements, hallucinations, memory loss and behavioural changes.

That investigation found no evidence of a common illness among the patients, but in 2023 Public Health heard about more patients reporting unusual symptoms. The Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health started analyzing patient data last March.

“This work has involved significant collaboration with our partners, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, and we have been working to ensure feedback from our partners is incorporated into our work,” said Dr. Yves Léger, the chief medical officer of health, in the release. “We know New Brunswickers are eager to see the results of this work.”

Earlier this year it was estimated that 400 New Brunswick residents live with the disease.

-With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Laura Brown and Melanie Price

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