India, Feb. 13 -- The Guillian-Barre syndrome or GBS is a rare genetic disorder that attacks the body's nervous system. It causes numbness and muscle weakness and may also lead to paralysis.

The recent GBS outbreak in Pune has doctors and virologists concerned about the spread of the disease through polluted waters.

They suspect that the Mahakumbh Mela, where there is no clarity on the water's quality and many devotees from Pune who went for the holy dips, could trigger a GBS response in the participants.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Down to Earth....