Maharashtra records second suspected GBS death as cases rise to 127

Of the 127 suspected GBS cases, 72 have been confirmed, with Pune and its surrounding areas being the most affected.

A 56-year-old woman from Kirkatwadi, Sinhagad Road in Pune, has become the second suspected fatality in Maharashtra’s Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak, taking the total number of cases to 127. The woman, who was also battling oral cancer, died at Sassoon General Hospital on January 28 after suffering respiratory failure with sepsis.

She had initially complained of weakness and was admitted to a local hospital on January 15 before being referred to Sassoon General Hospital two days later as her condition worsened, reported The Indian Express, quoting the state health department.

"The death audit committee will review the case to confirm the exact cause," said Dr. Nina Borade, medical health officer at the Pune Municipal Corporation.

This comes after Maharashtra reported its first GBS-related death on January 25, when a 40-year-old man from Solapur, residing in Pune’s Dhayari area, succumbed to the illness.

State Health Minister Prakash Abitkar had recently said that the outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) was most likely due to contaminated water sources. Eight water sources have tested positive for biological impurities.

Of the 127 suspected GBS cases, 72 have been confirmed, with Pune and its surrounding areas being the most affected.

Among the 121 stool samples sent for testing, 21 have tested positive for Norovirus and five for Campylobacter virus.

Residents have been urged to boil water and consume hygienic food. Door-to-door surveillance has covered over 50,000 households so far.

Tests have revealed the Campylobacter jejuni bacteria in some biological samples drawn from hospitalised patients. C. jejuni causes about a third of all GBS cases worldwide and is also responsible for the most severe infections.

It leads to weakness, paralysis, or other symptoms. It is a rare but treatable condition. It occurs when the body's immune system, while reacting to a bacterial or viral infection, mistakenly attacks the nerves that carry brain signals to parts of the body, leading to weakness, paralysis, or other symptoms.

According to doctors, 80% of affected patients regain the ability to walk unaided within six months of hospital discharge, though some may take a year or longer to fully recover limb function.

GBS treatment is also very expensive. Patients typically need a course of immunoglobulin (IVIG) injections.