Context: The Peruvian government has recently declared a state of national emergency for up to three months, due to a spike in the number of cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome .

What is Guillain-Barré Syndrome(GBS)?

• Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder where the body’s immune system — which normally protects it from infections and other foreign bodies — mistakenly attacks its own peripheral nerve cells.

• Symptoms:It include a tingling sensation in the body’s extremities, weakness in the legs that spreads to the upper body, difficulty in facial movements, unsteady walking or inability to walk, pain and, in severe cases, paralysis.

Effects of GBS

• The peripheral nerves — the nerves that branch out from the brain and the spinal cord — get damaged and as a result, the muscles can become weak or paralyzed. 

• The paralysis affects the legs, arms, and important parts of the nervous system that regulate breathing, blood pressure and heartbeat.

• The myelin sheath — an insulating layer of fat and protein that surrounds the nerve cells — becomes inflamed.The myelin sheath enables signals to pass through the nerve tracts at breakneck speed under normal conditions. If the sheath is inflamed, the nerves can hardly transport stimuli.

Causes of GBS

• The exact reasons for Guillain-Barré Syndrome are not known yet. However, it often develops shortly after a person gets an infectious disease. 

• GBS is often linked to the cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr virus,Zika virus and even the COVID 19 pandemic.

• In GBS the invaders camouflage themselves with a surface that mimics the body’s own structures. So the antibodies also target the body’s own cells and structures as foreign bodies and attach themselves to the surface. This results in a cascade of reactions.

• Vaccination can also be a reason for the disease.

Cure of GBS

• Currently, there is no certain cure for Guillain-Barré Syndrome.However there are two treatments that can help recovery and reduce the severity of the disease.

• Plasma exchange or plasmapheresis: The plasma or the liquid part of the blood is removed and separated from the blood cells, inducing new plasma production to make up for the loss. This treatment is aimed at removing the antibodies which are attacking the peripheral nerves.

• Immunoglobulin therapy: The  healthy antibodies from blood donors are injected intravenously. The damaged antibodies contributing to GBS are then blocked by the high doses of the immunoglobulins. 

• Recovery: After the fourth week of the disease recovery begins and it can extend between six to 12 months and occasionally up to three years.