A couple of weeks ago, we started seeing a few snippets of information popping up about Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases occurring in Pune, a city in the state Maharashtra in India. Most of the alerts were coming up on local news outlets and were referring to an ‘outbreak’ of GBS or a GBS ‘pandemic.’
We took a closer look and saw that there were an increasing amount of cases appearing impacting a wide range of local people, of all ages and genders. In total, reports say that 160 people have been impacting and unfortunately there have been 5 deaths linked to GBS in the area.
This incredibly rare mass occurrence of GBS appears to be linked to Campylobacter Jejuni, a bacteria that can lead to infections, most notably food poisoning There are reports of many people impacted in this mass occurrence testing positive for Campylobacter Jejuni.
Much research has been carried out about the link between Campylobacter Jejuni and GBS. While (as with most things GBS) there isn’t a definite link, there is enough information to suggest that there is certainly a connection, and this mass occurrence certainly seems to add to that.
Since cases started emerging, visits to the GAIN website and to the website of our colleagues at the GBS/CIDP Foundation International, have increased by over 1000%. As a result, we felt it best to write something about the mass occurrence, and to offer some reassurance.
To those impacted by this awful mass occurrence, we share our heartfelt sympathies. We know how impactful GBS can be, and we wish all those directly impacted a swift and good recovery. To the families of those who have lost their lives, we pass on our sincerest condolences. If anyone wants any information on GBS then you can go to our information hub here, and see our recent series of blogs on GBS here.
For those not directly impacted, but who may be concerned, GBS is not transmissible, and this is a localised incident. This isn’t a pandemic of GBS or the start of something global. This is a tragic and rare mass occurrence, the like of which we will hopefully never see again. If we look at the accepted prevalence data (the numbers of people we think get GBS each year), the number who would need to be impacted in order to see this level of GBS cases is around 16,000,000. Something extraordinary has happened in Pune, and it is something that the world will need to learn from.
In the meantime, let’s be concerned about the people impacted, but let’s not be too concerned with sensationalist headlines. If you want to read more on the mass occurrence then check out this piece on the BBC (ignore the headline!) – Guillain-Barre syndrome: India faces outbreak of creeping paralysis – BBC News. If you are concerned or want to reach out to us, then you can at office@gaincharity.org.uk or 01529 469910.
We will continue to monitor what is happening in Pune, and offering support where we can. We will of course continue to keep our GBS/CIDP Community up to speed with any news or learning.
