India's Maharashtra reports 1st suspected death from Guillain-Barré syndrome

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - A 40-year-old man has died after possibly contracting Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), marking the first fatality from the disease in the western Indian province of Maharashtra, local health officials said on Monday.

Health officials also reported that the number of cases in the city of Pune, located in Maharashtra near Mumbai, has risen to 101, including 68 men and 33 women. Of these, 16 patients are on ventilators.

The syndrome is a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, causing numbness, weakness, and paralysis, and in some cases, can be fatal.

The patient, who was from Pune, died in a district of Maharashtra while visiting his home village, marking the first death from the disease in the state.

The patient, suspected to have died of GBS based on clinical and autopsy reports, could not be saved despite five days of treatment, health officials said.

The exact cause of the patient’s death will be determined after microbiological and histopathological reports, which are expected in 5 to 6 days, they added.

The affected area remains under surveillance by the Rapid Response Team and the Municipal Health Department, which have monitored a total of 25,578 houses, The Hindu reported.

India’s Health Ministry said in a press release that it has dispatched a “high-level multi-disciplinary team” in response to the increase in suspected and confirmed cases of GBS in Pune.