The National Institute of Virology (NIV) has identified norovirus and the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni in samples from 21 Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) patients in Pune, the state health department confirmed on Thursday. Both pathogens are known to cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, which many of the affected patients experienced before developing GBS.
Norovirus, a leading cause of acute infectious gastroenteritis globally, has been linked to GBS in the past. “The two prominent organisms found by NIV include Campylobacter jejuni and Norovirus,” said Dr. Babita Kamlapurkar, Joint Director of State Health Services.
The patient samples, sent by Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and Poona Hospital on Tuesday, were tested by NIV after a private lab initially detected Campylobacter jejuni in three samples.
As of Thursday, the cluster of GBS cases in Pune has risen to 67, up from 24 reported earlier this week. Of these, 13 patients are on ventilator support, according to civic health officials.
Dr. Neena Borade, Chief Public Health Officer of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), stated that water contamination is suspected to be the cause of the outbreak, as nearly 80% of patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms prior to the onset of GBS. “We have sent 13 water samples for chemical, bacteriological, and virological analyses to the state lab. The results are expected in a few days,” she said.
To mitigate the issue, PMC plans to conduct ‘Super Chlorination’ of contaminated tanks and water sources to reduce bacterial and viral loads. Health officials are also surveying affected areas from Rajaram Bridge to Khadakwasla and monitoring hospitals treating GBS patients.
As reported by timesofindia, the discovery of these pathogens highlights the potential role of contaminated water in triggering the GBS spike, prompting urgent public health measures in the city.