Kerala reports second Guillain-Barré syndrome death in a week

According to relatives, the deceased Gowthami Praveen had been under treatment with the assistance of a ventilator at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital for the past one and a half months.

Symptoms of GBS include tingling and numbness, often starting in the feet, muscle weakness and pain, and difficulty walking File Photo

KOTTAYAM: Raising concerns, Kerala has reported its second death due to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in a week, after a 10th class student died at Government Medical College hospital in Kottayam on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Gowthami Praveen, aka Sreekutty-15, daughter of Praveen and Aswathy of Valiyathara house at Chenappadi
in Kottayam. She was a student at St Mary’s Girls High School in Kanjirappally.

According to relatives, she had been under treatment with the assistance of a ventilator at the medical college for the past one and a half months.

This marks the second reported case of GBS death in Kerala. Earlier on Monday, Joy Iype, 58, a native of Muvattupuzha in the Ernakulam district died due to GBS.

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle weakness and tingling in the limbs. It's caused by the immune system attacking the peripheral nervous system. 

Most people recover completely from Guillain-Barre syndrome, but some serious illnesses can be fatal. There's no known cure for the disease.