TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An employee at a Canadian health agency has blown the whistle on a mysterious neurological illness that has baffled medical experts but is being played down by the authorities.
The Guardian reported that a worker at Vitalite Health
Network, one of New Brunswick's two health authorities, said a growing number
of healthy young patients are exhibiting symptoms such as insomnia, weight
loss, difficulty thinking, hallucinations, and limited mobility.
While the official figure for suspected cases has remained 48 since the cluster was first announced last spring, a number of sources suggest there could be over 150 cases. Scientists at the public health agency have speculated that the environmental neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) could be at play, but the government has failed to order mass testing, which some belief is for political reasons.
A study has found high concentrations of BMAA in lobsters,
the pillar of the economies of many coastal communities in the province.
Families of patients suffering from unexplained symptoms have said the
province’s reluctance to investigate environmental factors behind the cluster
only makes its response fishier.
The possibility of an environmental trigger behind the
disease has been given credence by cases in which two people in close contact
with each other have both developed symptoms. One example involved a man who
exhibited ataxia and dementia before his wife and caregiver suddenly began experiencing
dementia herself as well as muscle wasting and hallucinations.
Experts familiar with the events are particularly concerned
because it’s rare for neurological illnesses to hit young people. The Guardian
wrote that New Brunswick is expected to declare some cases “misdiagnosed” later
this month as the province’s medical specialists continue pushing for further
investigation into the health care.
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