Thirty cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a potentially deadly inflammatory disorder, have been reported since late June in a northeast Chinese city, local health officials confirmed today.
Most of the hospitalised patients, all from Shuangyang District in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province, are in stable condition, officials from the city’s disease control and prevention centre said.
No deaths have been reported from the disease so far, Xinhua news agency said.
The disease, in which the immune system attacks nerves, has initial symptoms of fever, aching throat, diarrhoea and then weakness of legs and arms. In serious cases, one’s whole body can become paralysed, even the muscles used for breathing.
The exact cause of the disease is unknown, but medical experts believe it may be triggered by respiratory infection or the stomach flu. The potentially deadly disorder occurs most often in young adults and the elderly.
Following the outbreak of the disease, health authorities of Changchun have strengthened inspection on food and drinking water safety and advised citizens not to eat stale food and drink only boiled water.