2023-07-14 19:54:34
The outbreaks of Guillain-Barré syndrome that have begun to appear in Peru have alerted the health authorities of all Latin American countries. According to the official count, up to July 8 of this year it has already left 191 people affected and another four dead.
However, the current figures are still far from the 900 cases reported in 2019. Subsequent studies linked the outbreak that year with a gastrointestinal infection, caused by the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni.
“There is a very high probability that (the current wave) is due precisely to the transmission of this bacterium that is everywhere (…) due to improper handling of food, a circumstance that increases the risk” of Guillain Syndrome -Barré, indicated Ricardo Peña, an epidemiologist and advisor to the Ministry of Health. According to the doctor, 31 people are hospitalized in Peru diagnosed with the syndrome.
To this extent, the authorities of other countries have asked their citizens to be aware of the symptoms and risk factors that can make some people more vulnerable.
“The exact cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome is unknown. The disorder usually appears days or weeks following a respiratory or digestive infection. On rare occasions, a recent surgery or vaccination can trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome,” warns the Mayo Clinic, a medical institution in the United States.
Due to the movement difficulties they present, some people may need wheelchairs. | Photo: Getty Images
That source indicates that while Guillain-Barré syndrome can affect people of all ages. it occurs more frequently in older patients. In addition, he points out that it is slightly more frequent in men than in women.
In addition to the fact that it can make people who have the aforementioned infection with campylobacter sick, the medical source maintains that people who are infected with influenza, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, zija, hepatitis A, B, C and AND.
Likewise, it can affect patients with HIV or suffering from diseases such as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
People with Guillain-Barré syndrome may feel tingling in their extremities. | Photo: Getty Images
Those who have had recent surgery or trauma may also be more vulnerable to developing Guillain-Barré syndrome.
What are the symptoms of Guillain-Barré?
Medline Plus, the online encyclopedia of the US National Library of Medicine, reports that one of the hallmarks of Guillain-Barré syndrome is that symptoms can rapidly worsen once they appear. Fundamentally, people feel a weakness in the body that is accentuated with the passing of hours and days.
“Muscle weakness or loss of muscle function (paralysis) affects both sides of the body. In most cases, it starts in the legs and then spreads to the arms. This is called ascending paralysis. If the inflammation affects the nerves of the chest and diaphragm (the large muscle under the lungs that helps you breathe) and those muscles are weak, respiratory assistance may be required, ”says Medline Plus.
People diagnosed with this syndrome may also present other complaints such as loss of tendon reflexes in limbs such as arms and legs, a feeling of numbness in the body, tingling, and loss of sensation.
Guillain-Barré syndrome affects the nerves and, therefore, ends up impairing the proper functioning of the muscles. | Photo: Getty Images
There may also be cramp-like pains in the muscles, difficulties in making coordinated movements, blurred vision, palpitations, a drop in blood pressure and even the appearance of a heart rate outside of normal levels.
In some cases, the medical source warns that people may have some warning signs such as difficulties breathing and eating, drooling, fainting or feeling dizzy when the patient tries to stand up,
*With information from AFP.
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