Pune: The number of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases in Pune has climbed to 158, with nine new infections reported on Sunday, according to the Maharashtra health department’s daily bulletin. As the outbreak continues beyond three weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) is actively assisting the Pune district administration in its response.
Despite the rising case count, the number of patients on ventilator support dropped from 28 to 21 overnight, while ICU admissions fell from 83 on Saturday to 48. So far, 38 patients have been discharged, and doctors noted that many in serious condition are now showing signs of improvement. The death toll stands at five, with the last fatality reported on Saturday.
A WHO official confirmed that teams have visited affected areas and are working with municipal authorities to train health workers in “active case searches” to ensure early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of suspected cases.
“WHO is providing technical and on-ground field support to district- and state-level teams, equipping responders with essential resources, training, and support systems,” said Dr. Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO’s representative to India.
WHO teams will also assist in analyzing epidemiological trends, developing a “spot map” to visualize the geographical spread of cases, and creating an “epidemic curve” to track GBS cases over time.
