Kolkata, Jan 28 (IANS): After Maharashtra recorded one death and 110 suspected cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome, the West Bengal Health Department on Tuesday said that there is nothing to panic about the neurological disorder in the state.

A statement by state Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam claimed that Guillain Barre Syndrome is nothing new.

According to him, there had been sporadic reports of people getting affected by Guillain Barre Syndrome.

However, he added, that in West Bengal, there is nothing to panic about since neither this is a new disease nor there had been fresh reports of new individuals getting affected by it in the state since December 2024.

He also said that his claims have also been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to Nigam, generally, kids below 15 years of age are being affected by this disease.

However, Nigam added the state Health Department's medical teams are keeping a tab on the situation.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system.

Earlier this week, Maharashtra reported the first death of Guillain Barre Syndrome. On Monday night, the Maharashtra government urged the people not to panic over the situation and to visit any government hospital in case any symptoms on this count surface.

As per the figures available, of the 110 reported cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome in Maharashtra, 88 are from Pune, 15 from Pimpri and the remaining seven are from other districts. Out of the 110 reported cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome in Maharashtra, 73 are men and 37 are women. A total of 13 of them are currently on ventilators.