A 37-year-old driver from Pune, diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), has succumbed to the rare nerve disorder, pushing the death toll in Pune to seven. The city’s suspected GBS cases have surged to 192, with 167 confirmed infections and 21 patients currently on ventilator support, according to health authorities.
The deceased, who worked as a driver, initially sought treatment at a Pune hospital after experiencing weakness in his lower limbs. However, his relatives declined hospitalisation and instead shifted him to Nipani, Karnataka, on February 1. Later, he was admitted to a hospital in Sangli, where he received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment, the standard therapy for GBS.
On February 5, despite medical advice, the family discharged him and admitted him to PMC-run Kamala Nehru Hospital in Pune. His condition deteriorated, leading to supraventricular tachycardia, a severe heart rhythm disorder. He suffered a cardiac arrest on February 9 and died, officials confirmed.
As per state health department data, of the 192 suspected GBS cases, 167 have been officially diagnosed. The geographical spread includes 39 cases from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) areas, 91 from newly-added villages, 29 from Pimpri Chinchwad, 25 from Pune rural, and eight from other districts.
Currently, 91 patients have been discharged, while 48 remain in ICUs, and 21 are on ventilators, raising concerns over the outbreak’s severity. With cases continuing to rise, health officials are on high alert, investigating the cause and possible links to environmental or medical factors.
