New Delhi [India], January 31 (HBTV): The total number of suspected cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) has risen to 130, with 73 confirmed cases, according to an official statement from the Public Health Department.

The confirmed cases include 25 from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), 74 from newly added villages under PMC, 13 from Pimpri Chinchwad, nine from Pune Rural, and nine from other districts, the statement said. Among the affected individuals, 20 are currently on ventilator support.

Earlier on Tuesday, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr. Rajiv Bahl stated that the cases are under investigation as a team of experts has collected various samples. 'Samples of stool and blood of those infected are being tested at the NIV Pune lab, but we have yet to get any definite leads on the cause behind the spread,' Dr. Bahl said.

He added that the cause or link of GBS is found only in 40 per cent of cases. The Campylobacter jejunum bacteria was found in four stool samples collected from 21 GBS patients in Pune, which were tested by the National Institute for Virology (NIV), Pune. Norovirus was also found in some samples.

The Union Health Ministry has deputed a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Pune to aid state authorities in managing the surge in suspected and confirmed cases of GBS in the city. The central team, comprising seven experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Delhi, NIMHANS Bengaluru, Regional Office of Health & Family Welfare, and NIV Pune, is working closely with the state health departments.

The team is taking stock of the on-ground situation and recommending necessary public health interventions. The central team has been tasked with monitoring the situation and coordinating with the state. Additionally, water samples from various parts of the city have been sent for chemical and biological analysis to the Public Health Laboratory.

'An appeal has been made to private medical practitioners to notify any GBS patient to the respective public health authorities. Citizens should not panic - the state's health department is prepared to implement preventive and control measures,' sources told ANI.

(ANI)