
CHENNAI: After a nine-year-old boy from Thirvur in Tiruvallur district died due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) — a rare autoimmune condition that affects the peripheral nervous system — health department officials have collected water samples and conducted medical camps in the locality. However, they stressed that GBS is not a new disease and sporadic cases do occur.
According to officials, they have taken these measures to rule out the possibility of a cluster. They said that no one else in the area, including the members of the deceased boy’s family, have shown symptoms of GBS or other bacterial or viral infections. Highlighting that there are no indications at the moment that the case could be part of a cluster, officials stressed that there was no need for panic.
The boy had suddenly developed difficulty in walking and soon became paralysed, but did not present with any other symptoms, official sources said. He was initially taken to a nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC) on January 22, then referred to the Government Medical College, Tiruvallur, and later to the Institute of Child Health (ICH) in Egmore. Although ICH doctors diagnosed it as a case of GBS, the boy died on Friday without responding to treatment, sources added.
Pointing out that GBS is very rare and the hospital sees only three to four cases per year, Dr Janani Sankar, medical director of the Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital, said that there are two GBS patients undergoing treatment there at the moment. Both patients hail from different regions and are doing fine, she added. “If children suddenly find it difficult to move around or walk, their parents need to immediately consult a doctor,” Sankar said.
Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine T S Selvavinayagam said that GBS is a rare autoimmune condition that affects all age groups and can be triggered by any bacterial or viral infection. Most people fully recover, he added.
He further said that since GBS is not a notifiable disease there are no accurate numbers of GBS cases reported. However, he stressed that GBS is not a new disease and sporadic cases continue to occur. It becomes a cause of concern only if there is clustering of cases as reported in Pune recently, Selvavinayagam added.
In Pune, over 150 people have been affected and at least five have died of suspected GBS since January. Testing of water and food samples found the infection caused by the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni to be the cause of the outbreak. The union health ministry had deputed a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Pune for support.
Rare, yet needs attention
1. GBS is a rare autoimmune condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves
2. People of all ages can be affected, but it is more common in adult males
3. Most people recover fully from even the most severe cases
4. Severe cases of GBS are rare, but can result in near-total paralysis, affect breathing
5. GBS is potentially life-threatening
6. First symptoms of GBS include weakness or tingling sensations, which usually start in the legs.
7. People with GBS should be treated and monitored as quickly as possible