The number of suspected cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare but serious nerve disorder, has risen to 130 in Pune and other districts of Maharashtra, health department officials confirmed. So far, two suspected deaths have been reported—a 56-year-old woman from Pune and a man from Solapur district.
Authorities reported three new suspected infections on Wednesday, further raising concerns about the outbreak. Of the 130 suspected cases, 73 have been confirmed as GBS. Among them, 25 patients are from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) areas, 74 from newly-added villages under PMC, 13 from Pimpri-Chinchwad, and nine each from Pune rural and other districts.
Taking stock of the situation, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also serves as Pune district guardian minister, held a District Planning Committee meeting on Thursday. He directed civic and health officials to take strict action against hospitals that are overcharging GBS patients. Pawar also emphasized the urgent need for an adequate supply of essential drugs to treat the condition, which causes sudden numbness, muscle weakness, and severe limb fatigue.
Preliminary investigations suggest the GBS outbreak in Pune and surrounding areas is likely linked to contaminated water sources. Health experts suspect that Campylobacter jejuni, a bacterium commonly found in contaminated food and water, could be responsible for the sharp rise in cases. The government has urged residents to take precautionary measures, including drinking boiled or purified water and maintaining strict hygiene practices to curb the spread of the disease.
