The National Institute of Virology (NIV) has concluded that the Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) outbreak, which began in Pune in January, was caused by contamination from chicken droppings. Following this finding, serious questions have been raised about the Pune Municipal Corporation's water purification and chlorination processes. Further research is underway, and final results will be released soon, said Dr Naveen Kumar, Director of NIV.
There was a significant surge in GBS cases in the city, with the outbreak starting on January 9. Nanded village, located on Sinhagad Road, was the worst-affected area. The city reported a total of 202 GBS cases — 46 within Pune Municipal Corporation limits, 95 in newly incorporated villages, 34 in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation limits, and 40 in rural areas of Pune district. The seriousness of the outbreak was highlighted by the death of 12 patients. However, no new cases have been reported in the affected areas since February 18, marking the end of the outbreak, according to the health department. Despite this, the department has not yet announced the exact cause of the outbreak.
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Commenting on the NIV’s preliminary findings, Dr Kumar stated that GBS can be triggered by 8 to 9 different types of infections, and in nearly 50 per cent of cases, the exact cause remains unknown. During the investigation, researchers examined about 26 types of pathogens. Over 300 samples were tested, and norovirus and Campylobacter jejuni were primarily found. As norovirus does not typically cause GBS outbreaks, focus shifted to Campylobacter jejuni infections. Water samples from various locations were tested, and the bacteria were detected in the tap water of several patients. The water supply was traced back to the Khadakwasla dam. Given the large number of poultry farms near the dam, samples of chicken faeces were also tested, and Campylobacter jejuni was found in 50 per cent of them. This led NIV to conclude that the GBS outbreak was likely caused by contamination from chickens. Further research is in progress.
Questions Raised Over Municipal Water Disinfection
Water from the Khadakwasla dam was being released into a well in Nanded village, from where it was supplied to homes. The Pune Municipal Corporation was responsible for disinfecting the water through chlorination. However, Dr Kumar questioned the effectiveness of this disinfection process. He said either the chlorination process was not carried out properly, or there were flaws in its implementation, leading to inadequate purification and possible bacterial contamination.