GBS syndrome: Minister says 224 cases reported in Maharashtra

New Delhi: Maharashtra has witnessed 224 cases of Guillain-Barre-Syndrome (GBS) and 12 deaths due to it till March 3, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The investigation indicated that the most likely precursor of GBS in the population group is prior infections caused by campylobacter, Jadhav said in a written reply to a question.

The Central technical team was deployed on January 2 comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune on site to study the pathogens and outbreak.

Majority of cases have been reported from specific clusters in Pune, with additional cases in Nanded, Jadhav said.


These areas have been mapped for epidemiological investigation. The study was focused on identifying the exact source of the outbreak, with a thorough examination of water supply systems, sources of water, and other relevant factors, he said.

"The investigation indicated that the most likely precursor of GBS in this population group is prior infections caused by Campylobacter," he stated.

He said public health and hospitals is a state subject and the responsibility of strengthening the public healthcare system lies with the respective state and UT governments.

Under the National Health Mission (NHM), the Union Health Ministry provides technical and financial support to states and UTs for strengthening their healthcare systems based on the proposals submitted by them in their Program Implementation Plans (PIPs), subject to norms and availability of resources.

However, the Union government has not provided central assistance to the state government or relatives of the persons who died or suffering from GBS, Jadhav said responding to a specific question.