Guillain-Barre Syndrome: The number of suspected cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare nerve disorder, in Pune and some other districts of Maharashtra has risen to 130, health department officials have said.
Two patients- a 56-year-old woman from Pune and a man from Solapur district- have died due to suspected GBS in the state so far. Officials said on Thursday that three new suspected infections were recorded the previous day.
“A total of 130 suspected patients and two suspected deaths linked to GBS have been recorded until now. Of these, 73 are diagnosed as confirmed GBS cases. Twenty-five patients are from Pune Municipal Corporation areas, 74 from newly-added villages under PMC, 13 from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation areas, nine from Pune rural and nine from other districts,” an official said.
Ajit Pawar instructs health officials to take stringent action
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who on Thursday presided over a District Planning Committee meeting in Pune and instructed civic as well as district health officials to take stringent action against hospitals which overcharge GBS patients.
Pawar, who is also the Pune district guardian minister, instructed the officials to ensure an adequate supply of drugs for GBS, a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness, with symptoms including severe weakness in the limbs.
The GBS outbreak in Pune and surrounding areas is likely linked to contaminated water sources. Campylobacter jejuni, a bacteria found in contaminated food and water, is believed to be the reason for the outbreak.
Health Ministry deputes high-level multi-disciplinary team
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 media.