The first case of Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) was reported in Telangana. The patient is a 25-year-old woman from the city of Siddipet. She has been admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad under a ventilator support system.
The doctor said that the patient has no history of travelling to Pune, the city where the syndrome has infected many fatally. For the patient, there is no specific family history for this condition as well.
GBS is a post-infection syndrome, which occurs after 2 to 6 weeks of a person having a viral or bacterial infection. This happens because, during any other infection the immunity of a person is compromised.
What is GBS
GBS is a rare disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves, spread across the body. Peripheral nerves help is general body movements.
In India, a DBS outbreak has happened in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. The suspected reason was contaminated water.
The World Health Organisation is also supporting Indian authorities in the western state of Maharashtra to respond to both suspected and confirmed cases of the syndrome. WHO teams are working on the ground to assist ‘active key searches’ in communities affected by Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS).
This also includes creating a ‘spot map’, which shows the geographical distribution of the disease and an epidemic curve of the suspected cases. The epidemic curve shows the distribution of new cases over time and further supports the investigation into the cause, symptoms and cure of the epidemic.
“India’s health workforce is the backbone of disease containment and response—empowered, equipped, and protected, they stand as the first and strongest line of defense against outbreaks. WHO is providing technical and on-ground field support to district- and state-levels teams to empower responders with adequate resources, training, and support systems,” said Dr Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO Representative to India.
