Since the beginning of 2023, the country has had 182 cases of the disease that affects the nervous system; 4 deaths have already been confirmed
the peruvian government declared this Sunday (9.jul.2023) national health emergency due to the increase in cases of Guillain Barré syndrome. Peru is experiencing an outbreak of the disease, registering 4 deaths since the beginning of the year. In all, 182 cases have already been confirmed in the country in 2023, with 31 patients still being hospitalized.
Guillain Barré syndrome is considered a rare and serious disease that affects the nervous system. It occurs when the body’s own immune system attacks part of the nervous system, which are the nerves that connect the brain with other parts of the body. This results in inflammation of the nerves.
The emergency declared by the government covers 25 regions of the country and will last for 90 days. The Peruvian Minister of Health, César Vásquez, stated that the declaration will allow the acquisition of immunoglobulin for the treatment of patients in the next 2 years.
“So far we have controlled the disease. Guillain Barré appears every year and there has been a significant increase in recent weeks that obliges us to take State measures to protect the health and life of the population“, said the minister.
THE DISEASE
Muscle weakness is one of the main symptoms of Guillain Barré syndrome. Most patients initially perceive the disease by the feeling of numbness or burning in the extremities of the lower limbs (feet and legs) and then the upper limbs (hands and arms).
The syndrome can present different degrees of aggressiveness, causing from mild weakness in some patients to cases of total paralysis of the 4 limbs.
The disease is usually caused by a previous infectious process. Several infections have been associated with Guillain Barré syndrome, with Campylobacter infection, which causes diarrhea, being the most common, according to information of the Brazilian Ministry of Health.
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