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New Brunswick Seeks Federal Review of Mysterious Neurological Illness Data
9 Sep
Summary
- New Brunswick delays report on 222 cases of undiagnosed neurological illness
- Federal health agency to review all data after patients demand raw data access
- About 50 patients have died as investigation continues
In September 2025, the New Brunswick government announced that its report on a mysterious neurological illness affecting hundreds of people will be delayed until late December. However, the province has now agreed to a key demand from patients - a review of all data by federal health officials.
The investigation into 222 cases of undiagnosed neurological illness was originally expected to be completed by the end of the summer. But the Department of Health has now adjusted the timeline, stating that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has been asked to conduct a comprehensive review of the data collected.
This comes after patient representatives had called for the province to share the raw data with PHAC, rather than just aggregated information. They argued that the limited data shared previously would make it "nearly impossible" for federal experts to reach meaningful conclusions.
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The delay is seen as a "big win" by patient families, who have been lobbying for a formal public health investigation led by federal scientists. About 50 patients have died as the investigation has continued over the past few years.
The New Brunswick government says it is committed to drawing on "every available expertise" to better understand these complex cases. The chief medical officer of health stated that the goal is to develop a robust understanding of what the data is telling them, in order to determine the next steps to support affected patients and their families.
