A 53 year old man from Mumbai has died due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) at a hospital in Mumbai, making it the first death in the metropolis. The resident of Mumba’s Wadala area was working as a ward boy in a civic-run hospital. He had visited Pune 16 days before he was admitted to the hospital.
It is the first death in the metropolis due to the GBS, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner and its state-appointed administrator Bhushan Gagrani told PTI.
As per news agency PTI, he was admitted to hospital on January 23 and was in a critical condition for several days. He complained of weakness in legs. He was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and put on ventilator as he was facing breathlessness and in view of his critical condition. He died on Tuesday, officials told the PTI.
Mumbai reported its first case of GBS on February 7 after a 64-year-old woman, resident of Andheri (East), was diagnosed with the nerve disorder, officials earlier said.
The Pune region has so far reported seven deaths suspected to have been caused by the GBS. The tally of suspected and confirmed GBS cases in Pune region on Tuesday reached 197, according to health department officials.
See more: Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS): Symptoms causes treatment prevention
What is GBS? What are its symptoms?
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness and, in severe cases, paralysis. The exact cause is unknown, but it is often triggered by infections like Campylobacter (food poisoning), respiratory infections, flu, or rarely, vaccines.
GBS symptoms can develop rapidly, usually starting in the legs and spreading upwards.
The initial symptoms are weakness or tingling in the legs, numbness or pins-and-needles sensation, muscle pain, especially in the lower body.
As the disease progresses, the patient experiences symptoms such as weakness spreading to arms and upper body, difficulty walking or climbing stairs, loss of reflexes and trouble swallowing, speaking, or breathing (severe cases)
In severe cases the patient develops paralysis (temporary but may require ventilator support), blood pressure fluctuations and irregular heartbeat.
