Maharashtra's GBS tally rises to 207; woman's death in Kolhapur suspected to be from ailment

Pune: The tally of suspected and confirmed Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases in Maharashtra reached 207 after two cases were detected on Friday, a health official said.

The tally of confirmed cases stands at 180, of which 20 are on ventilator support, he added.

Meanwhile, though the official death toll remained unchanged at eight as per the state health department, a suspected fatality from the ailment was reported from Kolhapur.

A district health official said a 60-year-old woman from Changid tehsil there died on February 13.

"She was suffering from paralysis of the lower limbs and was first admitted in a hospital in Changid and then taken to neighbouring Karnataka. She was brought back to a hospital in Kolhapur on February 11, where she died two days later," the official said.

GBS is a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves, resulting in muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the legs and/or arms, as well as problems swallowing or breathing.