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Maharashtra's Solapur records first suspected death by Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Officials
The deceased is suspected to have contracted the nerve disorder in Pune, according to health officials.
A man suspected to have contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) has died in Maharashtra's Solapur district, health officials cited in a news agency PTI report said.
The deceased, who died in his native Solapur, had come to Pune, where he is suspected to have contracted the disease, the officials noted.
This is possibly the first death caused by GBS, an immunological nerve disorder, in Maharashtra.
"The total number of GBS cases Sunday increased to 101, comprising 68 males and 33 females. Of these, 16 patients are on ventilator support. One suspected death has been reported in Solapur," a state health official told PTI.
As many as 95 cases are from the neighbouring municipal corporations in Pune (81) and Pimpri-Chinchwad (14), the data shows.
Meanwhile, the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) health department continued surveillance in the affected Sinhgad Road area of the city.
Overall, total of 25,578 houses have been surveyed so far, including 15,761 in the PMC limits, 3,719 in Chinchwad MC limits, and 6,098 in the district's rural areas.
What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome?
It is a rare condition which causes both sudden numbness and weakness in muscles, with symptoms including severe weakness in the limbs, loose motions etc.
Bacterial and viral infections generally lead to GBS as these weaken the immunity of patients, doctors say.
As per doctors, while GBS is prevalent in both paediatric and young-age groups, it will not lead to an epidemic or pandemic, and most patients recover fully with treatment.
The Maharashtra health department set up the Rapid Response Team to investigate the sudden rise in this infection after 24 suspected cases were found initially.
