63-year-old man from Karve Nagar is sixth suspected GBS death in Pune
The deceased was admitted to the Kashibai Navale Hospital on January 28, 2025 after he complained of fever, diarrhoea, weakness in his lower limbs, and was unable to walk. He was administered IVIG but died in the evening on Wednesday, February 5 while undergoing treatment
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department on Thursday recorded the sixth death among suspected Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) patients in the district. A 63-year-old man residing in Karve Nagar, succumbed to his ailments while undergoing treatment at the Kashibai Navale Hospital, said civic officials.
Dr Babita Kamlapurkar, joint director of health services, said, “To date, six suspected GBS deaths have been reported in the state. Out of these, only one death has been confirmed as GBS and the remaining five deaths are suspected GBS deaths.”
As per state health officials, the deceased was admitted to the Kashibai Navale Hospital on January 28, 2025 after he complained of fever, diarrhoea, weakness in his lower limbs, and was unable to walk. He was administered IVIG but died in the evening on Wednesday, February 5 while undergoing treatment at the hospital. The death was recorded the next day, officials said. The immediate cause of death is said to be acute ischemic stroke, diabetes mellitus, and GBS. However, an autopsy was carried out to understand any underlying cause of death, said PMC officials.
The public health department on Thursday recorded three suspected GBS cases, taking the total number of cases reported in the district since January 2025 to 173. Out of these, as many as 140 patients are confirmed GBS patients, said Dr Kamlapurkar. Of the 140 confirmed GBS cases, 34 patients are from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), 87 are from the newly-added villages in the PMC area, 22 are from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, 22 are from Pune Rural, and eight are from other districts.
Dr Kamlapurkar informed that as many as 3,868 water samples from different parts of the city have been sent for chemical and biological analysis to the public health laboratory out of which, samples from 37 water sources have been found to be contaminated. “We have also sent 80 serum samples to NIMHANS Bengaluru for antiganglioside antibodies testing,” she said.
Dr Nina Borade, health chief of the PMC, informed that PMC has started physiotherapy facilities for patients who have recovered from GBS at the Laigude Hospital, which is located near the affected area. “From Thursday, we have started calling and requesting all patients who have recovered from GBS to avail of the physiotherapy facility free-of-cost. Also, door-to-door IEC activities, surveillance and distribution of Mediclor have started,” she said.
According to officials, ever since the GBS outbreak in the city, house-to-house surveillance of as many as 45,574 houses in the PMC; 23,179 houses in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC); and 13,191 houses in Pune rural (total 81,944) has been carried out in the district.