The provincial department of health says it is waiting on reports to be completed by a Moncton neurologist before it can proceed with an analysis or investigation into undiagnosed neurological conditions affecting hundreds of people in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and other provinces.
Meanwhile the medical officer of health for Nova Scotia, Dr. Robert Strang, has reached out to his New Brunswick counterpart regarding the atypical neuro-degenerative disease, and a spokesperson says the province is ready to cooperate with New Brunswick Public Health and its investigating team.
This past fall, MLA Megan Mitton and her cross-border counterpart Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin both called for interprovincial cooperation on an investigation.
In January, Mitton attended a meeting of more than 80 patients and family members of those affected by the mysterious conditions. She says those gathered shared “heartbreaking” stories of the “physical and mental impacts of this disease of unknown origin.”
“I think the worst part, really, is that basically nothing’s been done for years,” says Mitton. “That is so frustrating and and completely unacceptable.”
Mitton says that while she can’t identify individuals, there are multiple patients of Dr. Marrero in the Tantramar region.
New Brunswick Department of Health Spokesperson Tara Chislett told CHMA via email that Dr. Alier Marrero has completed 60 public health reports on affected patients so far, and the department is hoping he can complete his reporting by the end of February. But in an interview with reporter Sarah Seely of Brunswick News last year, the neurologist said there were more than 300 patients with atypical neurological symptoms, spanning six different provinces.
Chislett writes that “all cases need to be fully reported before any type of epidemiological analysis or deeper scientific analysis can happen.”
She said that the Vitalité Health Network, where Dr. Marrero works, has been providing time for the neurologist to complete the reporting work.
Mitton is concerned that the public health reporting requirements are unusually arduous and time-consuming, something that Dr. Marrero told Seeley last year. “We know there’s been additional administrative requirements placed on [Marrero] that are not on other doctors,” says Mitton, “and that if there was a really true sense of urgency, then there would have been adequate support offered to move forward on collecting the data necessary.”
Chislett says that there has been some assistance provided from the Public Health Agency of Canada to help Dr. Marrero complete the required reporting.
Mitton says she regularly writes to New Brunswick Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Yves Leger for status updates, but has been frustrated with the lack of progress. “From what I can gather, it’s just, well, we’re trying to get everything in the database… And it’s frustrating because there are people who are sick and dying,” says Mitton.
One of Premier Susan Holt’s 2024 election promises was to “immediately launch a transparent scientific investigation into the mystery illness” that has been a growing concern since it was first publicly disclosed in March 2021.
Mitton says patients at the January meeting are still calling for an investigation into possible environmental factors that may be causing the unexplained neurological symptoms, and also for some face time with decision makers.
“What is being asked for isn’t very different from what’s been asked for years,” says Mitton. “There’s a lack of trust towards public health in New Brunswick at this point, and so there’s a call for Public Health Agency of Canada to really lead this,” says Mitton.
Mitton says she’s supporting a call for the Premier and minister of Health to meet with patients. “I think it’s vitally important that they meet face to face and actually understand what’s happening,” says Mitton.
And the MLA says communication to patients and families also needs improvement. “We know that really no progress has been made so far, but, it’s this void right now of action and information,” says Mitton.
Chislett says New Brunswick Public Health requested assistance from the Public Health Agency of Canada in December to help “prepare for the next phase of the investigation by reviewing and refining the province’s draft analysis plan.”
She also says the province will share more information as the investigation progresses.
