Mumbai reports its first GBS case; 64-year-old Andheri woman hospitalised

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Mumbai reported its first case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) on Friday (February 7, 2025) after Pune, as a 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with the rare nerve disorder, civic officials said.

GBS is a rare condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, resulting in muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the legs and/or arms, as well as problems swallowing or breathing.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials confirmed that the 64-year-old female GBS patient was currently undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a civic-run hospital.

The officials said the woman, who resides in Andheri east area of the city, was hospitalised with a history of fever and diarrhoea that was followed by ascending paralysis.

Further details about the patient are awaited.

In GBS, severe cases can result in near-total paralysis. The prevalence of this disorder is more common among adults and in males, though people of all ages can be affected.

GBS cases in Pune

The number of suspected GBS deaths in Maharashtra’s Pune district stood at six, while the count of suspected cases there was 173.

Maharashtra’s health department is implementing preventive and control measures. In house-to-house surveillance activities, 45,574 houses in Pune MC, 23,179 houses in PCMC, and 13,191 houses in Pune rural areas have been surveyed (total 81,944).

The National Institute of Virology (NIV) on Thursday confirmed the main cause behind the rise of GBS cases in Pune was contaminated water.

(with inputs from PTI)