Guillain Barre Syndrome cases rise to 207: Over half of cases are in 5-km radius from Sinhagad Road, shows health dept data

The analysis also confirmed the presence of coliform, E. coli, Norovirus and C. Jejuni bacteria in 40 water samples in the cluster.

It has been over a month since Pune reported the GBS outbreak, with cases mainly from Sinhagad Road area. Two more cases were reported on Friday, taking the tally to 207.

The analysis stated that 51.7 per cent (106 cases) of the GBS cases are from areas within a 5-km radius from the periphery of Sinhagad Road.

As many as 30 of the 106 patients are from Nanded village/phata/city on Sinhagad road, 28 are from Kirkatwadi, 17 from Dhayari, 15 from Manikbaug, Dandekar pul, Wadgaon, Narhe and Hingane Khurd, 12 from Khadakwasla and Kolhewadi, and four from Ambegaon.

On drinking water sources, the analysis shows that 90 of the 106 patients mainly relied on water from a particular well at Nanded village as well as from Khadakwasla dam.

In an update by the state health department on Friday, 6,977 water samples from different parts of the city have been sent for chemical and biological analysis to the public health laboratory till date. The update stated that samples from 85 water sources were found to be contaminated.

State and district health officials pointed out that adequate chlorination measures have been taken to ensure clean water is supplied. “A thorough monitoring exercise has been undertaken,” an official said.

When contacted, state and district health department officials did not comment on the findings and said investigations were underway to find the root cause of the outbreak.

Earlier, state health secretary Dr Nipun Vinayak had told The Indian Express that his department had also considered a possible poultry link to the outbreak. Poultry samples had been tested and the presence of C. Jejuni bacteria was identified in some of the samples, he said, adding that instructions had been issued to 14 poultry farms to adopt hygienic practices.