GBS Outbreak in Pune: Swab and Feces Sample Testing of Poultry Initiated in Khadakwasla Area

Following instructions from the Central and State Governments to investigate the potential link between poultry and the outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), samples of cloacal swabs, feces, and water from the Khadakwasla Dam area have been collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology for testing, as reported by Animal Husbandry Commissioner Dr. Praveen Kumar Deore.

With GBS cases emerging in the Khadakwasla Dam area, there were concerns that poultry might be a contributing factor, possibly due to contaminated water. In response, a team from the Animal Husbandry Department inspected 11 poultry farms in the area, the primary water source for the region, and confirmed that sewage from these farms was not contaminating nearby water sources.

The National Institute of Virology's test results showed that 89 cloacal swabs and 17 fecal samples from poultry (including 2 fecal and 22 cloacal swabs from 9 farms) tested positive for the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni, and 5 samples from one farm tested positive for Norovirus.

Out of 29 water samples tested from poultry fields, 26 were negative for Campylobacter jejuni, and the remaining 3 samples are still under examination.

The Animal Husbandry Department advises poultry farm owners to implement strict biosecurity measures, maintain personal hygiene, regularly disinfect farms, and ensure that no bird droppings enter water bodies. There are unfounded claims suggesting that poultry is spreading this disease, which have negatively impacted poultry farmers' businesses and caused public confusion.