A concerning outbreak of Guillain-Barre Syndrome or GBS has emerged in Pune, Maharashtra, with cases rising to 158. The rare neurological disorder has affected residents across the region, with 38 cases reported within the Pune Municipal Corporation area and 18 in Pimpri Chinchwad. The remainder of the cases are scattered throughout villages in the Pune district. Here are all of the other important details that you would need to know about this particular disease.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Cases Continue To Rise In Pune
According to an article that was recently published by Moneycontrol, 38 patients have successfully recovered and been discharged. However, if reports are to go by, as many as 18 people are on ventilator support. Health authorities are investigating five suspected deaths linked to the condition.
GBS occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own nerves. This leads to severe complications including weakness, numbness and paralysis. The exact trigger for this outbreak remains unclear, prompting officials to send blood and stool samples from affected individuals to the National Institute of Virology for analysis.
Medical research, including studies from the Mayo Clinic in the United States, suggests that GBS typically manifests within six weeks of a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection, though its precise causes remain poorly understood.
More Information About This Particular Disease
The disorder typically presents with progressive weakness that initially affects the feet before ascending through the body. It potentially impacts the legs, arms, facial muscles and respiratory system.
Patients may experience additional symptoms including visual disturbances, difficulty with basic functions such as swallowing and chewing, and sensory issues like prickling sensations in the extremities.
Some individuals also report severe night-time pain, irregular heart rate and blood pressure, and complications with digestive and bladder functions. Currently, there is no known cure for GBS, and recovery trajectories vary significantly among patients.
The rehabilitation period can span from several weeks to multiple years, requiring extensive medical support and monitoring. Health authorities continue to closely track the situation whilst working to understand the underlying cause of this unusual outbreak.
Have you or someone you know been impacted by this disease? Let us know in the comments section below!
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