Second Canadian Scientist Alleges Government Shutdown of Mystery Brain Illness Investigation

A senior Canadian federal scientist, Professor Samuel Weiss, has accused the government of shutting down an investigation into a mysterious brain illness in New Brunswick, which he believes has affected 350 people. This allegation makes Weiss the second federal scientist to claim that the investigation was deliberately halted and that the number of affected individuals is higher than officially reported.

Health officials in New Brunswick initially reported in 2021 that 40 people were suffering from an unexplained neurological condition. However, a year later, a provincial committee concluded that these patients had likely been misdiagnosed and were suffering from other diseases.

In a leaked email obtained by the Guardian, Weiss, a neuroscientist with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, expressed his frustration: “In the spring of 2021, I felt incredibly optimistic that an all-of-government effort to unravel the mystery was in the cards. However, in short order, the scientific effort was shut down at the request of the [federal and provincial] Governments.”

Weiss’s email concluded with an apology to those affected: “All I can offer is my sincere apologies for our poor response to the mystery illness – and my hope that you don’t suffer too much. You and the 350 others affected deserve so much more.”

Weiss is the scientific director of the Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction and is renowned for his work in neurogenesis, which has pioneered treatments for several degenerative brain diseases.

In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for the New Brunswick health department stated, “New Brunswick does not hinder any research into this area of study. If the department of health determines any additional actions are needed, it will respond accordingly.” The spokesperson also noted ongoing discussions and support for Dr. Alier Marrero, who initially raised concerns about the patients.

Despite the provincial investigative committee’s conclusion that there was no cluster of patients with a mystery illness, leaked emails from senior research scientists indicate ongoing skepticism.

Earlier this month, another federal scientist, Michael Coulthart, alleged that he was barred from investigating the cluster of unexplained illnesses. Coulthart, a microbiologist heading Canada’s Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System, suggested that environmental factors might be triggering various neurodegenerative syndromes.

Families affected by the mystery illness, like Stacie Quigley Cormier and her daughter Gabrielle, are demanding more action and transparency from the government. Gabrielle’s health has deteriorated over five years, and her family suspects an environmental cause.

Another woman suffering from the illness expressed her frustration and anger at the government’s response, describing severe symptoms such as blurred vision, disturbed sleep, muscle aches, tremors, and loss of balance.

“It’s extremely frustrating that at the end of the day a bunch of politicians are trying to sweep it under a rug and they are leaving our doctors and scientists gagged and unable to do their jobs,” she said.