Pune: The total number of suspected cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) has risen to 127 with 72 confirmed cases, the Maharashtra Public Health Department said in a press release on Wednesday.
Maharashtra Health Department said, “As of today, 127 suspected cases of GBS have been identified, with 2 suspected deaths. Out of these, 72 patients have been confirmed as having GBS. 23 patients are from Pune Municipal Corporation, 73 from newly added villages in the PMC area, 13 from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, 9 from Pune Rural, and 9 from other districts. Among the affected individuals, 20 are currently on ventilator support.”
On Tuesday, the Director General Indian Council of Medical Research Dr Rajiv Bahl said that the cases are under investigation as a team of experts has collected various samples.
“Samples of stool and blood of those infected are being tested at the NIV Pune lab, but yet to get any definite leads on the cause behind the spread,” Dr Bahl said.
He said that the cause or link of GBS is found only in 40 per cent of cases. The Campylobacter jejunum bacteria was found in 4 stool samples that were collected from 21 GBS patients in Pune, which were tested by National Institute for Virology (NIV), Pune, while norovirus was found in some.
The Union Health Ministry has deputed a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Pune to aid state authorities in instituting interventions and managing the spurt in suspected and confirmed cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) in the city.
The central team sent to Maharashtra comprises seven experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Delhi, NIMHANS Bengaluru, Regional Office of Health & Family Welfare and National Institute for Virology (NIV), Pune. Three experts from NIV, Pune were already supporting the local authorities.
The team is working closely with the state health departments and taking stock of the on-ground situation to recommend necessary public health interventions. The central team has been tasked with monitoring the situation and coordinating with the state.
The water samples from different parts of the city have been sent for chemical and biological analysis to the Public Health Laboratory. “An appeal has been made to the private medical practitioners to notify any GBS patient to the respective public health authorities. Citizens should not panic – the state’s health department is prepared to implement preventive and control measures,” sources told ANI.
GBS can develop sudden weakness in the hands or legs/ paralysis. People could have trouble while walking or weakness with sudden onset and diarrhoea (for sustained periods).
Guidance has also been issued for citizens to ensure maintaining the water quality, such as drinking boiled water, food should be fresh and clean. The infection can be avoided also by not keeping cooked and uncooked food items together.
Describing the disease’s progression, Dr. Praveen Gupta, Principal Director & Chief of Neurology at Fortis Hospital said, “GBS occurs when antibodies, created to fight bacterial or viral infections like Campylobacter jejuni or respiratory infections, cross-react with the peripheral nerves. This leads to ascending paralysis, starting in the legs and moving upward. In severe cases, patients may lose the ability to breathe due to thoracic muscle weakness and require ventilatory support.”
