Thu Feb 06 17:56:28 UTC 2025: ## Contaminated Water Linked to Guillain-Barré Syndrome Outbreak in Pune: NIV
**Pune, Maharashtra, February 7, 2025** – A surge in Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases in Pune has been definitively linked to contaminated water, according to the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The NIV’s findings, released late Thursday, confirm that contaminated water sources are the primary cause of the outbreak, which has claimed six lives and left 140 individuals diagnosed with GBS. Fifty-five patients are currently in intensive care, with 21 requiring ventilators. Seventy-two patients have been discharged.
The investigation, conducted under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, involved the analysis of 3,868 water samples. Thirty-seven sources were identified as contaminated, with four new sources discovered on Thursday. The NIV has recommended increased water sampling (two liters instead of 100 milliliters) and stool samples from GBS patients for thorough analysis. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been urged to provide chlorinated water to all households.
The outbreak has affected various areas, with the highest number of cases (87) reported from newly incorporated villages within the PMC limits. Additional cases were reported in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and Pune Rural areas. A total of 173 suspected cases have been reported.
In a related development, Telangana reported its first GBS case, with a 25-year-old woman currently in critical condition. The Maharashtra state health department is implementing extensive preventive measures, including house-to-house surveillance across 81,944 homes in the affected regions. The NIV has urged the PMC to implement the recommended preventative measures immediately to curb the spread of the disease. The treatment for GBS is covered under the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka scheme.
First Piper 