There has been a massive rise in cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome or GBS, in Pune, with a total number of 67, as reported by authorities. "The total number of GBS cases increased to 67, comprising 43 and 24 women. Of these, 13 are on ventilator support," said Dr. Vaishali Jadhav, assistant health officer, at Pune Municipal Corporation. The Maharashtra health department has set up a Rapid Response Team to investigate the sudden rise in this infection after 24 suspected cases were initially found, the officials have told the media.

According to news reports, the first suspected case—a 64-year-old woman—has passed away.

Experts say the rise in cases of GBS in Pune is because of Campylobacter jejuni, a species of pathogenic bacteria commonly associated with poultry, often found in animal faeces. Also known as C. jejuni, it is a spiral-shaped, gram-negative bacterium that causes foodborne illnesses across the world. It occurs when the bacteria enter your body—typically through something you eat or drink—and make you vomit and have fever and diarrhoea.

According to doctors, most people feel sick for about a week but recover just fine without treatment. You can take care of yourself at home by resting and drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Experts, however, say a significant concern is C. jejuni's association with post-infection complications like GBS, which is a rare autoimmune disorder that leads to muscle weakness and paralysis.

It also causes reactive arthritis in some people.

Apart from GBS, campylobacter infections also lead to life-threatening complications like:

• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Bloodstream infection
• Sepsis
• Extremely high fever
• Fast heart rate.
• Breathlessness
• Extreme pain or discomfort

What is GBS?

GBS happens when your immune system attacks your peripheral nerves, leading to symptoms like numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness that progress to paralysis.

However, doctors say with treatment, most people fully recover from the condition. While the condition can occur at any age, it most commonly affects those between the ages of 30 and 50 years. Being a rare condition, around 100,000 people worldwide develop GBS every year.

GBS affects your peripheral nerves, which control muscle movement, pain signals, and temperature and touch sensations. Thus, GBS causes issues related to these functions. A few symptoms of the condition include:

• Muscle weakness
• Deep muscular pain
• Paralysis of your legs, arms, and facial muscles
• Chest muscle weakness
• Breathlessness
• Difficulty speaking and swallowing
• Difficulty moving your eyes

The symptoms of GBS can progress over hours, days, or a few weeks. Most people reach the most severe stage of weakness within the first two weeks after symptoms appear. By the third week, about 90 per cent of people are at their weakest.

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