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Mysterious and deadly ‘brain ailment’ alarms health officials in Canada
Health officials are further concerned as the brain disorder has been affecting young people.
A mysterious, deadly brain ailment is affecting people in New Brunswick province of Canada and health authorities are concerned. According to a report in New York Post, the disorder leads to neurological symptoms like hallucinations, muscle wasting, vision problems, memory loss and abnormal movements. The first cases were detected in 2015.
Health officials are further concerned as the brain disorder has been affecting young people.
“I am particularly concerned about the increase in numbers of young-onset and early-onset neurological syndrome,” neurologist Dr. Alier Marrero wrote in a Jan. 30, 2023, letter to New Brunswick’s chief medical officer and the chief federal public health officer.
“Over the past year, I have been following 147 cases, between the ages of 17 and 80 years old. Out of those, 57 are early-onset cases and 41 are young-onset cases,” read the letter from Marrero, according to the Toronto Star.
Marrero and health officials suspect a herbicide called Glyphosate to be the likely reason behind the brain ailment. The herbicide is used in agriculture, the forestry industry and household weedkillers.
In his letter, Marrero highlighted that laboratory tests on patients revealed “clear signs of exposure” to glyphosate, as well as other compounds linked to herbicides.
A group of patients from New Brunswick have been requesting the federal and provincial government to conduct a full-scale investigation on the brain ailment.
“We are formally demanding that federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos unmuzzle Canadian scientists and direct the Public Health Agency of Canada to uphold the Canada Health Act and reinstate federal experts into the investigation,” Steve Ellis, who is a patient advocate, told the Toronto Star.
