Pune’s health authorities are on high alert after a cluster of 26 Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases was reported across three major city hospitals in just one week. Patients, including both adults and children, mainly from Sinhagad Road, Dhayari, and surrounding areas, are showing symptoms such as severe limb weakness and paralysis, following episodes of diarrhea and abdominal pain, which doctors believe may be linked to contaminated food or water. Doctors from Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Navale Hospital, and Poona Hospital have sent various samples, including blood, stool, throat swabs, saliva, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), to Pune’s ICMR-National Institute of Virology for analysis. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has also been alerted to the growing cluster of GBS cases, prompting health authorities to take action.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s peripheral nerves, typically after an infection. This results in muscle weakness, paralysis, and other severe symptoms. Although the condition can be life-threatening in severe cases, most people fully recover with appropriate treatment. The WHO notes that GBS can impact both motor and sensory nerves, affecting movement, touch, pain, and temperature sensations, as well as causing swallowing or breathing difficulties.
Dr. Vaishali Jadhav, Assistant Medical Officer at PMC, confirmed the situation and stated that blood samples from six patients have been sent for further investigation. Dr. Jog, another physician, reported that his hospital alone had admitted 16 patients, including six children, within the past week. Eight of these patients required ventilator support. Medical professionals suspect that the surge in GBS cases could be linked to either a bacterial or viral infection triggering the autoimmune disorder. The most effective treatment for GBS is intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and authorities are monitoring the situation closely to manage the outbreak.