“Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Symptoms, Prevention, and NDTV Explainer”
The Union Health Ministry has sent a team to Sinhagad area of Pune, where the focus is currently.
New Delhi: A man suspected of having Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) died in Maharashtra’s Solapur district today, as the number of cases of the immune disorder in Pune crossed 100.
This is Maharashtra’s first death due to GBS in difficult times. The 40-year-old man, a native of Solapur, had come to Pune where he was reported to be sick.
The Union Health Ministry has rushed a team to Pune’s Sinhagad area, where the case is currently concentrated.
Symptoms Of GBS
GBS is a neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system, the part of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord. The onset of GBS is sudden and unpredictable.
The first symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome include numbness or tingling breathing. According to the World Health Organization, they usually begin in the joints and may spread to the arms and face.
Many people have back pain or pain in the arms or joints. Neurological examination usually reveals a loss of all home tendon reflexes. In some people, these symptoms can lead to paralysis of the muscles of the joints, hands, or face.
In about one-third of people, up to thirty-six muscles of the muscles of the joints are affected, making breathing difficult. In severe cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, speech and swallowing may be affected.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, patients with GBS are likely to be hospitalized and symptoms may develop within a few days or a few weeks, with the most severe occurring in the first few weeks after symptoms appear.
How To Prevent GBS?
The state health department in an advisory said that dengue can be prevented to some extent by following the same precautions, such as drinking boiled/bottled water, washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating, cooking poultry and meat properly; avoiding raw or undercooked food, especially salads, eggs, kebabs or seafood.
It also suggested keeping raw and cooked food items separate, disinfecting kitchen surfaces and utensils after handling raw meat, as well as following the same hygiene measures like frequent washing of hands with soap, especially before eating and after using the toilet.