Tally of suspected GBS fatalities in Pune climbs to six after death of 63-year-old man
Pune (PTI): The number of suspected Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) deaths in Maharashtra's Pune district has risen to six after a 63-year-old man died, a health official has said.
The man was admitted to a hospital in the Sinhgad Road area after he complained of fever, loose motions and weakness in the lower limb and was diagnosed with GBS, the official said on Thursday.
"His condition deteriorated on Wednesday and he died of acute ischemic stroke," the Pune Municipal Corporation health official said.
He added that of the six deaths, five are suspected GBS deaths, while one is a confirmed fatality from the rare nerve disorder.
With the detection of three new cases, the number of suspected GBS cases in Pune rose to 173, a Maharashtra health department release said.
"Of these, 140 have been diagnosed with GBS. Of the 173, a total of 34 patients are from Pune Municipal Corporation limits, 87 from newly added villages in PMC area, 22 from Pimpri Chinchwad civic limits, 22 from rural parts of the district, and eight from other districts," the release said.
Of the 173, the release added, 72 have been discharged, 55 are in ICU and 21 are on ventilator support.
An official said a tap water sample from a housing society in the vicinity of Nanded village, where the highest number of GBS cases have been reported, has tested positive for campylobacter jejuni.
It is a common bacterial pathogen that causes gastroenteritis and can trigger GBS, he added.
A senior health official from the Rapid Response Team (RRT) set up to investigate the GBS outbreak within a 5-kilometre radius of Nanded village in Sinhgad Road area confirmed the development.
A PMC official said the National Institute of Virology (NIV) has confirmed the GBS outbreak in Nanded and its adjoining areas was caused by water contamination, specifically due to the presence of waterborne campylobacter jejuni.
The PMC said 11 private reverse osmosis (RO) plants in Nanded and adjoining areas have been sealed after test reports indicated water from these was unfit for consumption. With this, the total number of RO plants sealed by the civic body's water supply department has reached 30.
"Standard operating procedures (SOPs) will soon be issued to private RO plants, water tanker operators and owners of borewells supplying drinking water. They will be required to use bleaching solutions to ensure the supply of clean and uncontaminated water," said Nandkishor Jagtap, head of PMC's water department.
GBS is a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, resulting in muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the legs and/or arms, as well as problems swallowing or breathing.
Severe cases can result in near-total paralysis. GBS is more common in adults and in males, though people of all ages can be affected.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
