GBS outbreak: Maharashtra sees 2 new deaths, India toll hits 21

Guillain Barre Syndrome is a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves.

The death toll from Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in India has now risen to 21, with two additional fatalities reported in Maharashtra on Monday.

Maharashtra remains the hardest-hit state, accounting for 17 of the deaths. In Pune, a 34-year-old man from Wagholi died at Sassoon General Hospital on Saturday, marking the ninth GBS-related death in the city since the outbreak began on January 5.

The man was referred to the hospital after experiencing tingling in his limbs, which quickly progressed to weakness. "This loss of power in all limbs progressed rapidly over the next three days, and by February 8, he had lost strength in the neck, respiratory, and facial muscles. He had trouble swallowing too," an official, quoted in a Times of India report, explained. However, the patient never regained strength.

Nagpur also reported a GBS-related death, an 8-year-old boy who died on February 10 after being admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital on January 16. This brings the total number of GBS deaths in Nagpur to two.

Apart from Maharashtra, deaths have also been reported in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, with each state confirming one fatality.

Amid the growing outbreak, Union junior minister for AYUSH, Prataprao Jadhav, suggested the possibility of imposing travel restrictions in affected areas. "If the disease is spreading from one region to another, imposing travel restrictions may become necessary," Jadhav said while speaking to reporters in Buldhana on Monday.