A 53-year-old man from Mumbai has succumbed to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), marking the first fatality due to the nerve disorder in the city, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The deceased, a resident of Wadala and employed as a ward boy in a civic-run hospital, had recently traveled to Pune, a city witnessing an outbreak of GBS, authorities stated.
He was admitted to another civic hospital in Mumbai on January 23 in critical condition and remained under intensive care for several days before passing away on Tuesday, according to officials.
Bhushan Gagrani, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner and its state-appointed administrator, verified that this is Mumbai’s first recorded death due to GBS.
GBS is a rare autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness, numbness in the limbs, and difficulties in swallowing or breathing.
The patient was initially brought to Nair Hospital on January 23 with complaints of leg weakness. Given his deteriorating condition and breathing difficulties, he was placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and put on ventilator support, the BMC stated in a release.
He was diagnosed with GBS and provided necessary treatment. The statement further noted that he had visited Pune 16 days before hospitalization, a region that has seen a significant number of GBS cases.
However, the patient did not exhibit symptoms such as fever or diarrhea, the civic body added.
In a related development, a 16-year-old girl from Palghar district is currently undergoing treatment for GBS at Nair Hospital, according to the BMC.
The civic body assured that all hospitals and medical colleges in Mumbai are fully equipped to manage GBS cases, with adequate medicines, medical equipment, and expertise available.
Mumbai’s first confirmed GBS case was reported on February 7, involving a 64-year-old woman from Andheri (East), officials had earlier informed.
Meanwhile, Pune has reported seven suspected GBS-related deaths, with the total number of confirmed and suspected cases in the region reaching 197 as of Tuesday, health department officials reported. (PTI)
