In Maharashtra’s Solapur district, a man suspected to have contracted Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has died, while the number of cases of the immunological nerve disorder in Pune has crossed 100, said health officials. Possibly, this is the first death in Maharashtra suspected to have been caused by GBS. The 40-year-old man, a native of Solapur, had come to Pune, where he is suspected to have contracted the disease, according to the officials.
Solapur Government Medical College Dean Dr Sanjiv Thakur said, “The patient, suffering from symptoms like breathlessness, weakness in lower limbs, and diarrhoea, was admitted to a private hospital (in Solapur) on January 18 as he was on ventilator support on and off. He died on Sunday”. Following his death, the case was referred to the Solapur government hospital. The official said, “A primary report has indicated that he had contracted GBS”.
Dr Thakur said they also performed a clinical autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of death. He said, “The primary report indicated the death was due to GBS”. The blood samples of the deceased have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for further examination, he added. A state health department official earlier in the day said, “The total number of GBS cases in Pune on Sunday increased to 101, comprising 68 males and 33 females. Of these, 16 patients are on ventilator support. One suspected death has been reported in Solapur.”
Bacterial and viral infections lead to GBS as they weaken the immunity of patients, and in the current case, the disease is suspected to have been triggered by contaminated water, according to the doctors. A team of expert doctors sent by the central government has also come to Pune, according to the media reports. State Health Minister Prakash Abitkar inspected a well in Nanded village on Sinhgad Road, from where the water is supplied to adjoining villages. He said the state health department and the Pune Municipal Corporation’s health officials are taking significant measures to curb the cases.
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