Suspected GBS deaths in Maharashtra rise to 5; cases up at 149

The number of suspected deaths in Maharashtra due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare nerve disorder, went up to five on Saturday, health officials said. So far, 149 suspected GBS cases have been reported in the state, they said.

A 60-year-old man from Pune's Warje area who was diagnosed with GBS died due to respiratory failure here on Saturday. Earlier, four suspected GBS deaths had been reported in the state.

According to health officials, 149 suspected cases have been reported in the state, of which 124 have been confirmed as GBS.


"Twenty-nine patients are from Pune city, 82 from the newly added villages to the PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) area, 17 from Pimpri Chinchwad, 13 from Pune Rural and eight are from other districts," said an official release.

Most of the cases recorded in the state are from Pune and surrounding areas. Several water samples from different parts of Pune city have been sent for chemical and biological analysis to the Public Health Laboratory, and samples from eight water sources were found contaminated.

A total of 160 water samples from different parts of Pune city have been sent for chemical and biological analysis to the Public Health Laboratory, and samples from eight water sources were found contaminated, an official had said on Friday.

The official said Escherichia coli, or E-Coli bacteria, was found in one of the samples collected from a few private borewells in the Sinhgad Road area. E.coli in water is a sign of faecal or animal waste contamination and the prevalence of bacteria can lead to GBS infection, he had said.

GBS is a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness, with symptoms including severe weakness in the limbs. Campylobacter jejuni, a bacterium found in contaminated food and water, is believed to be the reason for the outbreak.