3 min readPuneFeb 16, 2025 04:28 PM IST
First published on: Feb 16, 2025 at 04:28 PM IST
Though water contamination has been the primary cause of the surge in Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases in Pune over the past few days, it has now been revealed that livestock from the Khadakwasla area’s poultry farms carry bacteria that cause GBS and are being sold throughout the city.
“The GBS spur in Sinhagad Road area near Khadakwasla was considered only due to water contamination, but now it has been revealed that it is also due to consumption of chicken that are from poultry farms in the area upstream of Khadakwasla dam,” said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Saturday.
“There is no need to cull the livestock in the poultry farm; it should only be consumed after ensuring it is fully cooked. Doctors have also informed us that consuming undercooked infected chicken can cause infections in humans, so it is important to cook it thoroughly before eating.” Pawar said.
The administration will provide detailed guidelines for citizens. He stated there is no need for citizens to panic. “It is safe to consume well-cooked chicken. The issue will also be discussed with the chief minister,” he said. Pawar said the GBS situation is under control as not many new patients have been identified.
While testing live chickens from poultry farms upstream of the Khadakwasla Dam, the National Institute of Virology (NIV) collected 106 poultry faeces and cloacal swab samples. Of the 66 samples tested for Campylobacter jejuni, 23 returned positive results. Additionally, five out of 60 samples tested positive for norovirus, while testing of the remaining samples is still in progress.
The NIV has detected water samples from private reverse osmosis (RO) plants in the area and from the tap water of affected residents that are positive for GBS-causing bacteria. The PMC has sealed the private RO plants selling water in cans. Additionally, they have begun providing tanker services to supply treated water to the most affected areas along Sinhagad Road.
The well in Nanded, which was found to be the primary water source in the area, is bleached daily, while water chlorination has been increased before supplying it to the city.
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the agency responsible for issuing licenses for shops selling poultry products, so it should take on the responsibility of checking the poultry food and water sold in the area,” said a civic officer.
About one-third of GBS patients are from areas outside the Sinhagad Road region, spread across the city. He stated, “Water is likely the source of infection in the Sinhagad Road area, but poultry products and RO water are the reasons behind the cases found in other parts of the city.”
"There is no need to cull the livestock in the poultry farm; it should only be consumed after ensuring it is fully cooked," Ajit Pawar said. 
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