‘I first felt a tingling in my legs’—IT professional battles GBS syndrome

A 45yearold IT professional Amol Kulkarni a resident of Sinhagad Road Ambegaon Budruk is slowly recovering from GuillainBarreacute syndrome GBS a condition in which the immune system attacks the nervesSpeaking to midday Kulkarni said ldquoWhile playing badminton I first felt a tingling sensation in my legs I consulted an orthopaedic specialist two weeks before my GBS diagnosis The doctor advised tests and prescribed medicines but on January 16 my lips felt heavy and one eyelid wouldnrsquot blink I called my sister a medical professional who suspected paralysis and told me to get admittedrdquoRohini Dangad 9 recovering from GBS at YCM hospitalldquoDespite MRI and CT scans showing nothing doctors suspected GBS A specific test confirmed it I underwent five days of Intravenous immunoglobulin IVIG therapy costing Rs 45000 per dose after a discount My facial paralysis stopped after treatment I was hospitalised for eight days and discharged on January 24 However I still feel extremely weak and havenrsquot resumed work My total treatment cost was Rs 4ndash5 lakhrdquo Kulkarni saidPeople buying filtered water from a Water ATMldquoIn our area we receive different tankers for drinking water and we were told that it was properly treated However there is no municipal water supply pipeline in our locality The Pune Municipal Corporation PMC had promised to start pipeline connections after multiple followups Despite paying R17000 in property tax we are still deprived of basic amenitiesrdquo Kulkarni saidOther case studiesRahul Dangad a resident of Kirkatwadi Phata near Nanded village on Sinhagad Road has started treatment for his nineyearold daughter at YCM hospital Kirkatwadi has reported a high number of GBS cases including the second death on Tuesday that of a 56yearold woman from the same areaHealth officials circulate bleaching powder packs to tankers to clean the waterDangad told midday ldquoMy daughter Rohini is in the third standard She had an upset stomach vomiting and loose motions She couldnrsquot lift her legs I took her to a local doctor but her condition worsened Since my relatives live in Pimpri I brought her to YCM We had no idea about such bacteriardquo He added that villagers rely solely on well and canal water using it for years Around 80 per cent of Punersquos GBS cases have been linked to a 50yearold well in Nanded villageLocals speakThere were around 12 GBS cases found in DSK Vishwa Dhayari A township with 3500 flats Speaking to midday Vishwas Shanbag said ldquoWe were all taking utmost care We use boiled water not only for drinking but also for household chores There is no need to panic because this is not a new bacteriummdashthe treatment is already available The situation is nothing like COVIDrdquoAmol Kulkarni a resident of Sinhagad RoadMedha Manohar an IT and finance professional from Sun City said ldquoSince most cases were detected in our surroundings we are using boiled water for drinking and cooking We are also cautious about eating outside foodrdquo Sukanya Kulkarni an architect and classical dancer from Sinhagad Road said ldquoPrecaution is better than cure From the day the GBS news spread in newspapers we have completely avoided outside food and only use boiled waterrdquoContamination provedThe Maharashtra State Public Health Laboratory confirmed bacterial contamination in seven water sources across Pune and PimpriChinchwad Of 144 water samples sent for analysis eight tested positive for bacterial contaminationmdashfour from GBSaffected areas in Pune and three from PimpriChinchwad Municipal Microbiologist and Chief Chemist Prashant Jagtap told midday ldquoNormally these bacteria are found in untreated water They are sensitive to heat and chlorine Borewells and wells were either improperly treated or left untreated allowing bacterial growthrdquoHousing societies relying on tanker water are advised to obtain Grade 1 bleaching powder directly from the civic body rather than the market Civic staff will guide them on its proper use Jagtap added ldquoIf you have a household water purifier or RO system itrsquos sufficient These bacteria are large and can be filtered out Boiling water is only necessary if you donrsquot have a purifier GBS treatment Dr Rajendra Wable dean of Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital said ldquoGBS is a rare and serious neurological disorder where the immune system attacks peripheral nerves causing paralysis and respiratory distress Treatment includes plasmapheresis to reduce nerve damage and intravenous immunoglobulin IVIGrdquoDr Deepali Ambike head of the paediatrics department at YCM said ldquoAn eightyearold girl was admitted on January 17 with diarrhoea vomiting and an inability to stand A nineyearold boy was admitted on January 28 with truncal weakness unable to get up from bed and a mild fever Treatment was started immediately and both are recovering well The treatment is free of costrdquo