A 53-year-old man from Mumbai has died due to the Guillain-Barré Syndrome, marking the first such death in the city, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday.

Eight persons have died of the illness in Maharashtra so far. Mumbai’s municipal corporation is yet to confirm whether the death was linked to the outbreak in Pune, where the other seven deaths have been reported.

The patient was an employee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run VN Desai Hospital. He was on ventilator support at the civic body-operated Nair Hospital before dying due to the illness.

His family said that he had travelled to Pune for a day in January before falling ill.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder in which the immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. This causes symptoms such as muscle weakness, difficulty in walking and, in severe cases, paralysis. The condition is not contagious and the authorities have reassured the public that it cannot lead to an epidemic or a pandemic.

The state health department had earlier said that the outbreak in Pune was waterborne.

Meanwhile, five new suspected cases of the Guillain-Barré Syndrome have been reported in Pune, PTI quoted a health department official as saying on Tuesday. This took the number of cases in the city to 197.

Of this, 172 are confirmed to be cases of the Guillain-Barré Syndrome. “While 104 patients have been discharged, 50 are in [the] Intensive Care Unit and 20 on ventilator support,” the health department said.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome is treatable with early interventions such as intravenous immunoglobulin therapy or plasma exchange, which can help manage symptoms and accelerate recovery. While severe cases may require respiratory support and hospitalisation, about 80% of patients regain mobility within six months.

Residents have been advised to take precautions, including boiling water before drinking, cooking poultry and meat thoroughly, washing fruits and vegetables and practising good hand hygiene.

Also read: