PUNE, 7 FEB

The number of suspected fatalities from Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in Pune district, Maharashtra, has risen to six following the death of a 63-year-old man. A health official reported that the man was admitted to a hospital in Sinhgad Road with symptoms including fever, diarrhoea, and weakness in his lower limbs. He was diagnosed with GBS, but his condition worsened, leading to his death from an acute ischemic stroke.

Of the six fatalities, five are suspected cases, while one has been confirmed as a GBS-related death. In total, the number of suspected GBS cases in Pune has risen to 173, with 140 diagnosed with the syndrome, according to a release from the Maharashtra health department. Among these, 34 are from Pune Municipal Corporation limits, 87 from newly added villages, 22 from Pimpri Chinchwad, 22 from rural areas, and eight from other districts.

Currently, 72 patients have been discharged, 55 are in intensive care, and 21 are on ventilators. Officials noted that a water sample from a housing society near Nanded village tested positive for campylobacter jejuni, a bacterium associated with gastroenteritis that can trigger GBS. As a response, 30 private reverse osmosis plants have been sealed for providing unfit drinking water.

The Pune Municipal Corporation plans to implement new standard operating procedures to enhance water safety in the region.