Residents asked to clean overhead and underground water tanks as precautionary measure against Guillain-Barré Syndrome
The Pune Municipal Corporation has asked residents to take precautions with regard to drinking water. Representation Pic/istock
Pune continues to be plagued by Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) worries, after the 12th suspected GBS death was recorded in Pune district last week. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) survey reports of over 7000 water samples revealed that 138 samples were contaminated and unfit for drinking. A 38-year-old man from Manjri succumbed to the illness—the 12th death recorded—while undergoing treatment at Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) on March 3.
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According to the health officials, the patient was initially admitted to Sane Guruji Hospital on February 26 but was shifted to SGH due to complications. His nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test confirmed acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), a severe neurological disorder causing muscle weakness and sensory loss. Despite intensive treatment, he passed away at SGH.
Health officials stated that the patient had diarrhoea for two days before he sought medical care and was in critical condition when he arrived at SGH, with paralysis in all four limbs and severely weakened neck muscles. With a recent surge in cases of GBS, the PMC has initiated an extensive water testing drive and a total of 7195 water samples have been tested so far, with 138 found to be contaminated. The campaign aims to determine whether water contamination is contributing to the outbreak.
The health department has issued urgent instructions to the water supply department to ensure the provision of clean drinking water. Officials have also reported three confirmed cases of GBS in the Narhe and Dhayari areas recently, and water sources in these areas are now under scrutiny, with all RO plants temporarily shut as a precaution.
Nandkishor Jagtap, head of the PMC water supply department, told mediapersons, Jagtap added that the e-coli bacteria found in these water samples caused water-borne diseases and not just GBS, and said the corporation had urged people to ensure that overhead and underground tanks were kept clean. PMC health officials were not available for comment.
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