Pune: Cab driver dies of rare nerve disorder GBS, 3rd suspected death in Maharashtra

NEW DELHI: A 36-year-old man diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare nerve disorder, has died at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) in Pune's Pimpri Chinchwad, officials said on Friday. This marks the third suspected GBS-related death in Maharashtra.

The patient, a cab driver, was admitted to YCMH on January 21. According to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, an expert committee concluded that his death was caused by respiratory trauma due to pneumonia, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The patient had been diagnosed with GBS following a nerve conduction test on January 22.

With this latest fatality, Maharashtra has reported three suspected GBS deaths. On Wednesday, a 56-year-old woman in Pune was suspected to have succumbed to the disorder, while a 40-year-old man from Solapur died on January 26.

Health officials have recorded 130 suspected cases of GBS in the state, with most of them concentrated in Pune and surrounding areas. Investigations suggest that the outbreak may be linked to contaminated water sources, with Campylobacter jejuni—a bacteria found in contaminated food and water—believed to be a possible cause.