Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 14-year-old boy, Yash Nitin Hiwrale, succumbed to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, raising concerns among health officials. Yash was admitted on January 20 and passed away on March 17.
The civic health department has criticised the hospital for failing to report the case, despite directives requiring private hospitals and practitioners to notify authorities about suspected or confirmed GBS cases. In response, a health team has visited the hospital to collect medical records, reported Times of India.
So far this year, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has recorded 28 GBS cases, with 25 patients recovering. Authorities have identified the areas where these cases were detected and have collected water samples for testing. Efforts are also underway to educate locals about precautions to prevent the spread of GBS.
Outbreak In Pune Declared Over
Meanwhile, the GBS outbreak in Pune, which began in the Sinhagad Road area on January 9, has officially been declared over, according to the Pune Municipal Corporation’s health department. Reports on March 18 confirmed that no new cases had been recorded in the affected area since February 18, leading officials to notify the Public Health Department that the outbreak had been contained.
The highest number of cases had emerged in Nandedgaon and Sinhagad Road, with the outbreak being linked to infections caused by norovirus and Campylobacter jejuni. Health experts state that an outbreak is considered over when no new cases are reported for twice the disease’s incubation period.
Dr Nina Borade, Health Chief of the PMC, explained that the incubation period for norovirus and Campylobacter jejuni is between 8 to 10 days. Since no new cases have been reported for 27 days, a formal letter has been sent to the Joint Director and Deputy Director of the Public Health Department to confirm the closure of the outbreak, reported Punekar News. Once approved, it will be officially declared over. Across Maharashtra, 230 GBS cases have been reported so far, with Pune recording the highest numbers.
