GBS cases: Three people, including a child, have died from suspected cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in West Bengal in the past few days. However, the state health department has not yet officially confirmed the cause of the fatalities.
All three persons died in government hospitals in Kolkata and Hooghly district. A senior health department official said, "The situation in West Bengal is absolutely under control and there is nothing to panic about."
The three deceased persons were Debkumar Sahu (10) of Jagaddal in North 24 Parganas district, Aritra Manal (17) from Amdanga in the same district and another 48-year-old man in Dhaniakhali village in Hooghly district, news agency PTI reported quoting sources.
Family members claimed that they died of suspected GBS
The families of the three individuals have claimed that they died from suspected Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune nerve disorder.
Debkumar passed away at BC Roy Hospital in Kolkata on January 26, while the teenager from Amdanga, who was receiving treatment at NRS Medical College and Hospital in the city, died the following day.
The man from Hooghly district also died on Wednesday at a local hospital. "The hospital told us that the condition of Debkumar kept on deteriorating while being treated. They did not tell us that the cause of his death was GB syndrome, but in the death certificate the suspected GB syndrome was mentioned," the boy's uncle Govinda Sahu said.
Four children undergoing treatment
Meanwhile, four more children suffering from suspected GB syndrome were undergoing treatment at the BC Roy Hospital and Institute of Child Health, the sources said.
GBS is a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness, with symptoms including severe weakness in the limbs and loose motion. Bacterial and viral infections generally lead to GBS as they weaken the immunity of patients, as per doctors.
(With PTI inputs)
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