Study reveals novel therapeutic target for traumatic brain injury
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Argentinian capital Peru has declared a 90-day national health emergency due to a spike in cases of a rare neurological disorder, Guillain-Barre Syndrome(GBS).
The country has seen an unusual increase of 165 cases. Four persons have died due to the disorder. Peru issued an alert on June 27 regarding the increasing number of cases of the rare disease.
“Government declares health emergency due to unusual increase in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome,” the health ministry posted on Facebook.
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The exact cause of the spreading of the disease is not yet known. According to reports, two-thirds of the patients saw symptoms of an infection – Covid-19 or gastrointestinal infection or Zika virus, six weeks before the onset of the disease in larger numbers.
The Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare neurological disorder in which a person’s immune system starts attacking the myelin sheaths of nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which means the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.
Generally, the probability of GBS is 1 in 1,00,000.
It starts with a tingling sensation and weakness in the hands and feet, and can quickly spread further – ending up paralysing the body. People affected by this disease need to be hospitalised immediately for treatment before it gets late.
Guillain-Barre syndrome, also called LGBS, may have the following symptoms – Legs become paralysed with no sensation. A person is not able to stand up on his own; shooting pain occurs which gets worse at night. There is difficulty in bladder control.
As time passes, if left untreated, the paralysis spreads from the lower limbs to the upper limbs to the lungs which can be fatal. The paralysis spreads within hours of the first sign of the disease.
Natural Immunoglobulin fluid needs to be injected in the body. The injections are costly with one bottle costing up to Rs 75,000.
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