The problems for Pune seem to be endless as the Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) continues to escalate. Not only are the cases increasing, but ICU admissions and ventilator support numbers are also alarmingly high.
As per the report on Monday, the GBS cases in Pune district have now risen to 163, with five reported fatalities due to the immunological nerve disorder.
Out of the total cases, 32 patients are from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) area, 86 from newly added villages in the PMC area, 18 from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) area, 19 from Pune Rural, and 8 from other districts.
Of these patients, 47 have been discharged so far, 47 are in ICU, and 21 are on ventilators.
Water Contamination
With the rise in cases, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and administration began checking water in the affected areas and found that water at at least 78 locations had E. coli contamination. Later, the civic body also confirmed that water supplied by private water tankers in the city was contaminated with E. coli.
On Monday, the PMC stated that it had sent notices to several RO plants in the Sinhagad area after finding bacteria such as E. coli in the water supplied by them.
Out of 30 private RO plants or water ATMs, 19 were found to have coliform bacteria, and 14 of them also contained E. coli. The water from these plants is unsafe to drink due to contamination.
Water Boiling Advisory
With every water source appearing to be contaminated, residents now face difficulty in deciding on safe drinking water. In response, the PMC has appealed to residents to boil drinking water for at least 20 minutes to kill all the bacteria.
