Water samples from different parts of Pune have been sent to the public health laboratory for chemical and biological analysis.
The Maharashtra government has formed a rapid response team as 16 patients of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), an auto-immune disorder, are on the ventilator of the 101 patients in the state so far.
At present, there are 19 suspected cases in the state, and one suspected case of death from Solapur.
In a communication, the state's public health department said a state-level rapid response team visited the affected area.
Of the 19 suspected cases, six are from Pune. The Pune Municipal Corporation and rural district authorities have been instructed to increase surveillance activities, the state department said.
The Union health ministry has also sent a team to Pune to assess the situation after a reported outbreak of GBS, a rare neurological disorder.
As a precautionary measure, water samples from different parts of Pune have been sent to the public health laboratory for chemical and biological analysis.
The state government is planning to increase health promotion activities, and private medical practitioners have been asked to notify authorities if they treat any GBS patients.
A total of 25,578 houses have been surveyed in different parts of the district. Seven stool samples from patients have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.
Also, 23 blood samples have been sent to NIV, and all these have tested negative for zika, dengue and chikungunya.
Some stool samples have tested positive for norovirus, while some have tested positive for bacterial infections.
What is GBS?
GBS is an autoimmune neurological disorder where the immune system attacks the nervous system leading to muscle weakness. This can eventually progress to paralysis over days and weeks.
While anyone can be affected, it is more common in adult males.
Causes of GBS are not fully understood. In some cases, it occurs after a viral or bacterial infection.
Infection with the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni, which causes gastroenteritis, including symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, is one of the most common risk factors for GBS.
At times certain vaccinations also lead to people getting GBS.
GBS disease is, however, quite rare -- estimated incidence of 0.5 per 100,000 population. It, however, can lead to death when the autonomic nervous system gets affected which controls heart rate.
Treatments for GBS include plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.
At a glance
- 101 patients have been found so far.
- 62 patients are from Pune rural, 19 from Pune, 14 from Pimpri Chinchwad, and 6 from other districts.
- 68 are men and 33 are women.
- 16 patients are currently on ventilators.
Maharashtra advisory to citizens:
- Ensure good water quality; drink boiled water.
- Food should be fresh and clean.
- Avoid keeping cooked and uncooked food items together to prevent infections.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
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