Pimpri-Chinchwad: Fake Message Claims PCMC Supplying Unpurified Drinking Water Amid Guillain-Barré Syndrome Outbreak, FIR Filed

A fake message is doing the rounds of social media which claims that the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) was supplying unpurified drinking water to the citizens amid the outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).

The message reads, "The municipal corporation has requested the citizens to drink water after boiling. The filter at the water purification centre has developed technical issues and it will be resolved in the next 3-4 days. Until then, the civic body will release water without purification. Please share this message with your family and friends."

Meanwhile, the PCMC acted quickly after the message went viral, registering a complaint against an unidentified person. Sharing a copy of the FIR, the municipal corporation said that the citizens should not believe in such fake messages.

This comes only a day after a 36-year-old man, who was diagnosed with GBS, died due to "trauma to the respiratory system due to pneumonia" at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) in Pimpri. The patient, who lived in Pimple Gurav and worked as a driver for a cab service, was admitted to YCMH on January 21.

What is GBS?

GBS is a rare condition that causes sudden numbness and muscle weakness, with symptoms including severe weakness in the limbs. Campylobacter jejuni, a bacterium found in contaminated food and water, is believed to be the reason for the outbreak.