Doctors investigate mystery brain disease in Canada

Doctors in Canada have been coming across patients showing symptoms similar to that of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare fatal condition that attacks the brain. But when they took a closer look, what they found left them stumped.


The province says it's currently tracking 48 cases, evenly split between men and women, in ages ranging from 18 to 85. Those patients are from the Acadian Peninsula and Moncton areas of New Brunswick. Six people are believed to have died from the illness.


At first, there can be behavioural changes like anxiety, depression and irritability, along with unexplained pain, muscle aches and spasms in previously healthy individuals.

Frequently, patients develop difficulties sleeping - severe insomnia or hypersomnia - and memory problems. There can be fast-advancing language impairments that make it difficult to communicate and hold a fluent conversation - issues like stuttering or word repetition.

Another symptom is rapid weight loss and muscle atrophy, as well as visual disturbances and co-ordination problems, and involuntary muscle twitching. Many patients need the assistance of walkers or wheelchairs.

Some develop disturbing hallucinatory dreams, or waking auditory hallucinations.

Several patients have presented with transient "Capgras delusion", a psychiatric disorder in which a person believes someone close to them has been replaced by an impostor.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56910393

Hoping they get cured and no one else develops it.

Have several of these symptoms: "depression and irritability, along with unexplained pain, muscle aches and spasms, visual disturbances". And I keep forgetting things. I'll keep you updated, if I go haywire.

modern science diagnostics sucks!

I can't be the only one wondering if these people have had a vaccine. Fingers crossed that they make a full recovery.

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Posted by s7e6e

Have several of these symptoms: "depression and irritability, along with unexplained pain, muscle aches and spasms, visual disturbances". And I keep forgetting things. I'll keep you updated, if I go haywire.

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Have you tried an elimination diet?

All those symptoms could be explained by an undetected intolerance. Far easier to treat than a brain disorder!

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Posted by Myristyl

I can't be the only one wondering if these people have had a vaccine. Fingers crossed that they make a full recovery.

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Am pretty sure these pre-date vaccines. I think this cluster has been emerging over a couple of years or more.

A little while back was reports of a disease relating to drinking water or swimming in streams, if I remember all those symptoms where present?

And worse.

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Posted by Sunny-side-up

A little while back was reports of a disease relating to drinking water or swimming in streams, if I remember all those symptoms where present?

And worse.

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Wasn't that from a brain eating amoeba?

id accept all these if i could drop some weight

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Posted by thepainterdoug

id accept all these if i could drop some weight

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Careful what you wish for. You know what you have to do to drop some weight...

Throw your cellphone off a bridge. :D

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Posted by Ti

Throw your cellphone off a bridge. :D

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The best piece of succinct advice I've heard for quite a long time. :)