The area where it occurs is a poor area, the inhabitants are more likely to consume deer and other types of 'bush meat'. This is illegal, generally, although there is a limited deer hunting season. At this time there is no apparent linkage to deer or other types of bush meat - but the locals may well engage in lying.
The rate of progression is much faster than and the onset symptoms differ from the CJD found in deer, which might point to a different type of bush meat being consumed. The Medical Officer of Health needs to have heart to heart - off the record chats with local people and aboriginals - both of whom may well conceal what they see as an unattractive/illegal practice.
AFAIK the MOH is interviewing a broad group of people to try and find some causative link. The infection kinetics of a different CJD type of illness could be much faster from a different animal?
Eating bush meat is not illegal. There are many different animals/seasons that one can lawfully hunt and eat.
Considering that there are no documented cases of developing of CJD from consuming CWD infected deer, I think that is unlikely. It's hard to say for sure since the state of research on CJD is lacking to the point that most cases are considered to have no clear cause. Unless this is a new variation of CWD that can jump to humans. Not to mention CWD has not been detected in that territory. There's not a lot of research on prions in non-cervid game species. Sheep and goats are the only others I know of, and I don't think they are found in that territory.
If it really is diet related, I would think that the caregivers who are contracting it should be able to identify what changed since they started caring for the patient.
It's definitely concerning that this has been going on for a long time ans seems to be spreading, yet the best answer the government has is to call it unrelated coincidence.
That part of New Brunswick has a hunting culture and often hunt out of season and often gather other animals besides deer. It is possible that this is an emerging prion disease. It may take 10-20 years to follow this up? cases are sporadic as well as rare.
So far nothing points to bush meat being the cause, as CWD has not been detected in that province and the others on that Wikipedia don't seem to have known game animal hosts in that area. Not to mention the autopsies haven't found prions so far.
It also seems the poaching claim may be slightly outdated and may not be a significant problem or common occurrence.
I remember the original story was posted here. It seems odd that people in close contact are developing issues and that it appears that little is being done. Something doesn't seem right.
