64-year-old woman is Mumbai's first GBS case

Mumbai reported its first case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) on Friday after a 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with the rare nerve disorder, civic officials said.

GBS is a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, resulting in muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the legs and/or arms, as well as problems swallowing or breathing.

Talking to PTI, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner and its state-appointed administrator Bhushan Gagrani said the patient was currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a civic-run hospital.

BMC officials said the woman, who resides in Andheri (East) area of the city, was hospitalised with a history of fever and diarrhoea that was followed by ascending paralysis.

The woman was initially hospitaliSed on January 21. Within three days, she developed difficulty in walking and progressive weakness in her lower limbs, they said.

A provisional diagnosis of Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (AIDP), a variant of GBS, was made based on clinical findings and diagnostic tests, said the officials and described her current condition as "moderate".

A lumbar puncture showed mild protein elevation, and plasmapheresis has been initiated as part of the treatment, and four more cycles of the procedure were planned, they informed.

Plasmapheresis is a process in which the liquid part of the blood, or plasma, is separated from the blood cells.

The patient has a history of hypertension and surgeries, including tubal ligation and an appendectomy, said the officials.

Another BMC official said the woman tested positive for "nerve conduction study " though a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is pending.

CSF analysis is a group of tests that help diagnose diseases and conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord.

In GBS, severe cases can result in near-total paralysis. The prevalence of this disorder is more common among adults and in males, though people of all ages can be affected.

The number of suspected GBS deaths in Maharashtra's Pune district stood at six, while the count of suspected and confirmed cases in that city was 173.