14-Year-Old Dies of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Authorities Take Action

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 14-year-old boy, Yash Nitin Hiwrale, has tragically died from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, raising serious concerns about the recent outbreak of GBS cases in the region. Yash was admitted to the hospital on January 20 and passed away on March 17.

The civic health department has criticized the hospital for failing to report the GBS case, despite clear directives requiring private hospitals to notify authorities about suspected or confirmed cases. In response to the situation, a health team has visited the hospital to collect medical records and investigate further.

So far, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has reported 28 GBS cases this year, with 25 patients recovering. Authorities have identified the affected areas and have taken steps to collect water samples for testing. Additionally, efforts are being made to educate local residents on preventive measures to curb the spread of GBS.

In a related development, the GBS outbreak in Pune, which began on January 9 in the Sinhagad Road area, has officially been declared over. According to the Pune Municipal Corporation's health department, there have been no new cases reported in the affected areas since February 18. The outbreak, which had the highest number of cases in Nandedgaon and Sinhagad Road, was linked to infections caused by norovirus and Campylobacter jejuni. Experts confirmed that the outbreak could be considered over once no new cases were reported for twice the disease’s incubation period, which is 8 to 10 days for both infections.

Dr. Nina Borade, Health Chief of the PMC, stated that since no new cases have been recorded for 27 days, a formal letter has been sent to the Public Health Department to confirm the closure of the outbreak. Once approved, the outbreak will be officially declared over.

As of now, Maharashtra has reported a total of 230 GBS cases, with Pune recording the highest number of cases.