2 die in MP, govt ramps up detection

Two persons have died after an outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, an immunological nerve disorder, in Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch district, prompting the government to launch a drive to identify patients and ensure their treatment, officials said.

Following the detection of over a dozen cases in Manasa town, the authorities have been asked to set up a control room there, create a special ward for GBS patients at the local government hospital and make other arrangements to tackle the outbreak.

Deputy Chief Minister and Public Health and Medical Education Minister Rajendra Shukla on Saturday visited Manasa, located 30 km from the district headquarters, to review the situation.

After a meeting with officials, Shukla told reporters that the first GBS patients in Manasa were identified on January 12 and admitted to hospitals in Jaipur and Ahmedabad. He said 14 GBS patients have been detected so far in Manasa, which has a population of about 35,000.

“Unfortunately, two patients have died. Two other patients were kept on life support, and their condition is now out of danger,” he said.

GBS is a disease in which a patient’s immune system mistakenly starts attacking the peripheral nervous system. In GBS patients, parts of the body suddenly become numb, muscle weakness develops, and they may also face difficulty in swallowing or breathing.

Govt bearing cost of treatment: Madhya Pradesh Dy CM

The disease is sometimes linked to eating undercooked poultry, unpasteurised dairy, or consuming water contaminated with sewage. The deputy CM said the state government was bearing the cost of the patients’ treatment.

Shukla said he has directed officials to set up a control room in Manasa, create a special ward for GBS patients at the government hospital, deploy ambulances equipped with life-saving systems and ensure adequate stock of medicines and injections.

Efforts were underway to create awareness among Manasa residents about precautions to prevent the GBS outbreak, and door-to-door surveys were being conducted to check people’s health, he said. However, the state government is yet to ascertain how GBS spread in the town.

“Samples taken from a water purification plant and other places have not been found contaminated at first glance. Samples of patients’ blood serum, food items and other materials have been sent to institutes in Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune for testing,” Shukla said.