A 41-year-old chartered accountant (CA) has been confirmed as the first fatality in the ongoing Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) outbreak in Pune, which has seen a rise in cases since early January. This was stated in a report by the Financial Express.
The victim, who was hospitalised in Solapur, passed away late Saturday, January 25, after a prolonged struggle with the rare neurological disorder, according to the Maharashtra Health Department.
State Health Minister Prakash Abitkar confirmed the death, stating, “It’s a confirmed GBS case,” during a press conference on Monday, January 27.
This follows the death of another patient in Solapur on January 25, who had been initially suspected of contracting GBS.
Since the outbreak began on January 9, Pune has reported 111 confirmed cases of GBS, with the number steadily increasing over the past three weeks. The count had reached 101 by Sunday, January 26.
Among the patients, 17 are currently on ventilator support, and seven have been discharged, Abitkar added.
In response to the outbreak, the central government has sent a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Pune to evaluate the situation and assist with the implementation of public health measures.
The team, consisting of experts from Delhi and Bengaluru, is expected to play a vital role in managing the outbreak.
The victim’s family recounted his health leading up to hospitalisation.
On January 9, the CA experienced diarrhoea and took over-the-counter medication. By January 14, after feeling better, he travelled with his family to Solapur. However, by January 17, his weakness returned, prompting his hospitalisation the following day.
Despite initially improving in the ICU, his condition deteriorated, resulting in his death after six days of treatment. Doctors confirmed the diagnosis of GBS through nerve-conduction tests and began treatment according to established protocols.
A doctor at the hospital remarked, “He responded well initially but his condition worsened again, characterised by weakness in the limbs and total paralysis.”
Dr Sanjeev Thakur, Dean of Vaishampayan Medical College in Solapur, mentioned that tests are currently being conducted on the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid, nerve tissue, and other organs.
“We are going to carry out tests on fluids to look for infections that likely triggered GBS. We expect results in seven to eight days,” he stated.
In Pune, health experts have identified the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni and norovirus in samples from the cluster.
Dr Rakhi Mane, head of the Solapur Municipal Corporation’s health department, confirmed that the deceased patient had been given a five-day course of immunoglobulin injections as part of his treatment.
