India, GBS update: 167 cases confirmed and 7 dead

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) has been reported in 192 suspected cases across Maharashtra, as confirmed by the state’s Health Department. This figure includes 167 confirmed cases and seven reported deaths, with GBS having been confirmed in one such death and the remaining six under investigation. The outbreak has led to 48 hospitalisations in intensive care units (ICUs), with 91 patients successfully treated and discharged. The condition, characterised by its rarity and the potential severity of its neurological manifestations, including muscle weakness, numbness, and, in severe cases, paralysis, has prompted a rigorous monitoring and surveillance response from health authorities, with heightened surveillance measures being implemented in affected areas. Water samples contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria were found in water supply facilities in Nanded village, Dhayari, and adjacent areas in Sinhgad, leading to their closure, while other facilities were found to lack adequate disinfection measures, as reported by a Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) official. The recent meeting, presided over by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, with Maharashtra’s health officials and ministers, focused on ongoing health measures to contain the spread of GBS.