Incidence of GBS atypical, say docs

Hyderabad: According to experts and medical professionals, the incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is currently atypical. However, similar outbreaks have been documented in Latin America and the Caribbean following the Zika virus outbreak.
The condition appears to be more common in middle- and low-income countries and is also more common in men than women. Physicians report that cases of GBS are not uncommon and are regularly seen in private hospitals, although not always in large numbers.
Although GBS-like disorders have been referred to in the scientific literature for centuries, the term "Guillain-Barré syndrome" was first introduced in 1916. It was named after the scientists who first identified these disorders.
Notably, higher incidences of GBS were reported in French Polynesia in 2013-2014 and in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015-2016, both associated with outbreaks of Zika virus infection. An unusually large outbreak of GBS occurred in Peru in 2019, with 600 cases reported in just over two months.
"We are seeing these cases in private hospitals, and while previous viral infections can lead to GBS, it is not contagious and is treatable if detected early" said Dr Shighakolli Ramesh, a consultant neurosurgeon at Kamineni Hospitals.
Govt sources say that if cases are reported in public health systems, many cases in private hospitals may go unnoticed.
Dr G Narsimhulu, former president of the Indian Rheumatology Association, explains that the medical term for the disease has been changed to Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy. "Neurologists treat this condition, but they sometimes consult rheumatologists because it is an autoimmune disease," he said. GBS develops as a result of abnormal immune function, either due to an autoimmune response or an exaggerated inflammatory response, he added.