<p>Bengaluru: In light of an Acute Diarrheal Disease (ADD) outbreak in two taluks in Uttara Kannada district, the state health department is ramping up (GBS) disease surveillance and monitoring efforts to prevent a Guillain-Barre Syndrome outbreak in Karnataka. </p><p>At least 61 pilgrims in these two taluks, who recently returned from Pandharpur, Maharashtra, suffered from acute diarrhea and vomiting after consuming contaminated water from an overhead tank in a community hall. </p><p>Following this, it is learnt that Health and Family Welfare Department Principal Secretary Harsh Gupta has instructed all district health officers (DHOs) and district disease surveillance officers (DSOs) to increase the surveillance of ADD and monitor each reported case for two to four weeks for any signs of the rare Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).</p>.Ajit Pawar urges people to avoid undercooked chicken amid GBS scare.<p><strong>Risk of infections</strong></p><p>This is because such diarrhea-causing bacterial infections could up the risk of someone developing the disease. </p><p>“Campylobacter jejuni is one such bacteria that is thought to cause this autoimmune disease through a mechanism called molecular mimicry, whereby Campylobacter contains ganglioside-like epitopes in the lipopolysaccharide that elicit auto-antibodies reacting with peripheral nerve targets,” said Dr Ansar Ahmed, Project Director, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, who added that efforts need to be taken to ensure clean drinking water was consumed. </p><p>Recently, GBS made news after Maharashtra reported nearly 207 cases and eight deaths linked to the syndrome. </p><p>In this light, Karnataka’s health department held several meetings to identify preventive measures, and announced that the Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy used as treatment would be made free for patients. </p><p>Gupta clarified that there was no increase in the number of cases being reported at Nimhans.</p>.<p><strong>Average cases</strong></p><p>“An average of 15 cases per month have been reported in the last six months. This is the same average of what was being reported even during earlier years,” the officer said. </p><p>He emphasised that all the cases of GBS that were being reported in the state were the regular, non-fulminating kind (not explosive or intense), which aren’t that aggressive.</p><p>“The Pune cases are of the fulminating type, which are very fast in progression and also have high mortality rate,” Gupta added. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: In light of an Acute Diarrheal Disease (ADD) outbreak in two taluks in Uttara Kannada district, the state health department is ramping up (GBS) disease surveillance and monitoring efforts to prevent a Guillain-Barre Syndrome outbreak in Karnataka. </p><p>At least 61 pilgrims in these two taluks, who recently returned from Pandharpur, Maharashtra, suffered from acute diarrhea and vomiting after consuming contaminated water from an overhead tank in a community hall. </p><p>Following this, it is learnt that Health and Family Welfare Department Principal Secretary Harsh Gupta has instructed all district health officers (DHOs) and district disease surveillance officers (DSOs) to increase the surveillance of ADD and monitor each reported case for two to four weeks for any signs of the rare Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).</p>.Ajit Pawar urges people to avoid undercooked chicken amid GBS scare.<p><strong>Risk of infections</strong></p><p>This is because such diarrhea-causing bacterial infections could up the risk of someone developing the disease. </p><p>“Campylobacter jejuni is one such bacteria that is thought to cause this autoimmune disease through a mechanism called molecular mimicry, whereby Campylobacter contains ganglioside-like epitopes in the lipopolysaccharide that elicit auto-antibodies reacting with peripheral nerve targets,” said Dr Ansar Ahmed, Project Director, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, who added that efforts need to be taken to ensure clean drinking water was consumed. </p><p>Recently, GBS made news after Maharashtra reported nearly 207 cases and eight deaths linked to the syndrome. </p><p>In this light, Karnataka’s health department held several meetings to identify preventive measures, and announced that the Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy used as treatment would be made free for patients. </p><p>Gupta clarified that there was no increase in the number of cases being reported at Nimhans.</p>.<p><strong>Average cases</strong></p><p>“An average of 15 cases per month have been reported in the last six months. This is the same average of what was being reported even during earlier years,” the officer said. </p><p>He emphasised that all the cases of GBS that were being reported in the state were the regular, non-fulminating kind (not explosive or intense), which aren’t that aggressive.</p><p>“The Pune cases are of the fulminating type, which are very fast in progression and also have high mortality rate,” Gupta added. </p>