What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome, the rare neurological disorder spreading in Pune?
Guillain-Barr¨¦ Syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system, which controls muscle movement, pain signals, and temperature and touch sensations. GBS can be triggered by an acute bacterial or viral infection or by a vaccine.
More than 70 cases of Guillain-Barr¨¦ Syndrome (GBS) have been reported in Pune, Maharashtra, spreading panic among the residents there. On Friday, six cases of GBS were reported in Pune, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 73.
"The total number of GBS cases increased to 73, comprising 47 men and 26 women. Of these, 14 are on ventilator support," a health department official said.
CREDIT: MEDICAL VIEW
What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Guillain-Barr¨¦ Syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system, which controls muscle movement, pain signals, and temperature and touch sensations. Some also experience weakness in the respiratory muscles, requiring ventilator support.
While GBS can affect both paediatric and young-age groups, it will not lead to an epidemic or pandemic.
What causes Guillain-Barre Syndrome
GBS can be triggered by an acute bacterial or viral infection or by a vaccine , where a person's immune system attacks peripheral nerves.
GBS infections are very rare and can cause weakness, numbness, or paralysis.
CREDIT: SR NEURO CLINIC
The first symptoms of GBS are weakness and tingling in the hands and feet, which can quickly spread and may lead to paralysis.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome treatment
While there is no known cure for GBS, most people infected by GBS do recover, but the recovery process could take months or sometimes years.
Supportive therapies can reduce the severity of the condition and shorten the recovery time of infected patients.
CREDIT: AMERI PHARMA
Alert in Pune
In Pune, health experts suspect the pathogenic bacteria Campylobacter jejuni could be behind the GBS outbreak.
Following the outbreak of GBS, the Maharashtra Government, on Tuesday, set up a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to investigate the sudden rise in infections.
The Union Health Ministry's Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) has also decided to send a team of doctors to assist local authorities in Pune in dealing with the GBS outbreak.
The RRT and PMC's health department also conducted surveillance in the affected areas of Sinhgad Road and surveyed 7,215 houses in the region.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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