First GBS death in Mumbai: 53-year-old man succumbs to symptoms; BMC yet to confirm link to Pune cases (original) (raw)

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has yet to confirm whether his case is linked to the ongoing GBS outbreak in Pune. (Express Filel Image)

A 53-year-old man from Mumbai has succumbed to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), marking the city’s first fatality from the rare neurological disorder and taking the total death toll in Maharashtra to eight, according to officials.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has yet to confirm whether his case is linked to the ongoing GBS outbreak in Pune.

The patient, an employee of BMC’s V N Desai Hospital, had been on ventilator support at the civic-run Nair Hospital before succumbing to complications from the illness.

According to the man’s family, he had travelled to Pune for a day last month before falling ill. He was admitted to the hospital on January 23 after experiencing progressive weakness, a hallmark symptom of GBS. “We are investigating the matter to determine if there is any connection between this case and the outbreak in Pune,” said a senior BMC official.

GBS is a rare but serious autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis and, in severe cases, respiratory failure. While its exact cause is unknown, it is often triggered by infections such as influenza, gastrointestinal bacteria like Campylobacter jejuni, or, in some cases, vaccinations. The disease can progress rapidly, requiring intensive medical intervention, including mechanical ventilation if respiratory muscles are affected.

Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior BMC official emphasised that cases of GBS are recorded throughout the year and there is no immediate cause for alarm. “GBS occurs sporadically, and unless we identify a clear connection between this case and Pune, it does not hold epidemiological significance,” the official said.

This comes just days after Mumbai reported its first confirmed case of GBS in a 64-year-old woman. She had a history of diarrhoea and fever, which was soon followed by ascending paralysis—a characteristic symptom of the syndrome.