PUNE: A 37-year-old man from Sangli, who was referred to a hospital in Pune, passed away late Sunday due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), becoming the seventh victim in Maharashtra from the rare but treatable condition since the outbreak began in Pune just over a month ago. This latest death coincided with an increase in the city’s caseload, which rose by eight overnight, bringing the total to 192 cases as of Monday.
The health department has confirmed water contamination as the primary cause of the GBS outbreak, based on multiple lab tests. The deceased, a driver, had been undergoing treatment at Kamala Nehru Hospital. A preliminary report attributed his death to GBS-induced septic shock and acute coronary syndrome. Initially, he was taken to a different hospital in Pune, then transferred to a facility in Nippani town in Belagavi district, Karnataka, before being admitted to Kamala Nehru Hospital.
Currently, 48 GBS patients remain in intensive care, with 21 on ventilator support. A total of 91 individuals have been discharged. The health department has sent over 4,700 water samples from various areas of Pune for testing, and 65 of these samples have been found to be contaminated.
