Shillong, Aug 4: A single case of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), an immunological nerve disorder, has been reported in Meghalaya, officials said.
GBS is a rare autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, causing muscle weakness and potential paralysis.
The case in Meghalaya is reported from the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) with only one case involving a 35-year-old patient who is currently undergoing treatment.
“The patient is admitted at the Neuro ward and improved after prompt treatment,” doctors at the institute said.
A surge of GBS cases in India had raised alarm this year. The outbreak —centered in Pune but spreading across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal — has killed 23 people with more than 200 reported cases.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), GBS is rare. The cause of it is not fully understood, but most cases follow an infection with a virus or bacteria. This leads the immune system to attack the body itself. Infection with the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni, which causes gastroenteritis (including symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea), is one of the most common risk factors for GBS.
