NEW DELHI, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) has claimed two lives in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, officials said Monday.
According to health officials, a 45-year-old woman from Prakasam district who was admitted at the Guntur Government General Hospital succumbed to the rare autoimmune condition on Sunday.
Last week, a 10-year-old boy died of a similar disease at a private hospital in the state's Srikakulam district.
Andhra Pradesh local health minister Satya Kumar Yadav said the number of GBS cases in the state was 17.
"This is a non-communicable disease with an incidence rate of up to two per 100,000 population. This is not a sudden spurt of cases, this is normal," Yadav was quoted in local media as having said.
Yadav further said most of the cases can be handled with regular treatment while some serious cases would require immunoglobulin injections and admission in intensive care units of the hospitals.
Officials said the Andhra Pradesh Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation has taken steps to ensure the availability of immunoglobulin at central drug stores across the state.
The public has been urged not to panic and advised to stay vigilant for symptoms of GBS.
Doctors say bacterial and viral infections generally lead to GBS as they weaken the immunity of patients. Although it is prevalent in both small children and young people, it will not lead to an epidemic or pandemic, they caution.
India's Maharashtra has so far reported eight GBS deaths.
Reports say the tally of GBS cases in Maharashtra has risen to 207 and the majority of the cases are in Pune and its surrounding areas.
Last month, India's federal health ministry rushed a seven-member team to Pune to assess the situation following the outbreak of GBS. ■
