Paralyte diseases spread to Gaza while Israeli blockade continues to prevent medication and food from coming.
Since June, 85 alleged cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) have been reported, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO reported that there had been eight deaths associated with the GBS in Gaza.
What is Guillain-Barre syndrome?
The GBS is a condition where the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath, which protects peripheral nerves.
This exposes the nervous fiber and causes nerve damage.
The peripheral nerves branch out from the brain and spinal cord to all parts of the body, such as skin, muscles and organs.
The GBS is a very rare condition, affecting around 100,000 people worldwide each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.
What causes GBS?
The exact cause of the GBS is unknown, but it generally affects people who have suffered from a viral or bacterial infection such as the flu, the Epstein-Barr virus or the Zika virus.
WHO says that a gastrointestinal infection caused by Campylobacter Jejuni bacteria is one of GBS’s most common risk factors. Campylobacter Jejuni is commonly found in animal faeces.
Most laboratory test samples in Gaza have been positive for Campylobacter Jejuni, said Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, head of pediatrics at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, the independent reported on Saturday.
Al-Farra said that samples have also returned positive for enterovirus, a group of viruses that are generally spread to humans through contaminated water and cause fevers, bodily pain, sore throat and rashes.
He explained that these diseases spread because Israel destroyed the sewage system in Gaza, forcing people to drink water polluted by wastewater.
The Israeli bombing destroyed 70% of all wastewater and wastewater treatment factories in Gaza, Oxfam, Global Advocacy Group said in July 2024. Oxfam also accused Israel of having restricted the entrance to the Oxfam water test equipment.
Sometimes the GBS can also be triggered by surgery.
What are the symptoms of the GBS?
Symptoms may vary depending on the severity of the disease.
The GBS generally starts with tingling, numbness or muscle weakness in the feet and legs, which can then progress towards the rest of the body.
Other symptoms include muscle pain in the back or legs; weakness of the chest muscles, which can lead to breathing difficulties; difficulty moving your eyes; and difficulty talking or swallowing.
In extreme cases, legs of the legs or even of the whole body can occur. It can also cause paraaesthesia, a feeling of numbness, tingling, burning or cooling of the skin.
Symptoms can last a few weeks, and most people recover without lasting neurological complications, according to WHO. However, some people continue to feel weakness.
The GBS can be fatal, with a small proportion of patients who die due to complications such as the paralysis of the respiratory muscles, blood infections, pulmonary embolism or cardiac arrest.
How is GBS diagnosed?
By matching patient symptoms with the disease.
However, GBS symptoms overlap with other diseases, so tests are necessary to support a diagnosis of the GBS.
A lumbar puncture can be ordered, where a small amount of liquid is collected in the vertebral canal in the lower back.
This fluid is tested for a change compatible with the GBS.
Another test is electromyography, where thin needle electrodes are inserted into the muscles to monitor nerve activity.
How is it treated?
The GBS does not have a remedy, but the treatments can be used to alleviate its symptoms.
For example, if a patient finds it difficult to breathe, he is put on a fan. If a patient experiences muscle weakness, rehabilitation exercises can help.
Since GBS is an autoimmune disease, immunotherapy is used to manage early symptoms.
This includes the exchange of plasma, which eliminates blood antibodies. These treatments are more effective when launched in a few weeks after the development of symptoms.
Because GBS is a potentially fatal disease, patients are hospitalized and monitored for complications.
Do other Gaza diseases lead to paralysis?
While the GBS is not the only disease to spread to Gaza which causes paralysis.
Gaza recently experienced an increase in acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), a condition that leads to muscle weakness or paralysis.
“The Ministry of Health warns against a dangerous increase in cases of acute flaccid paralysis and Guillain-Barre syndrome in the children of the Gaza Strip, following atypical infections and aggravation of acute malnutrition,” the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on August 4 in a press release on its telegram channel.
“Medical examinations have revealed the presence of intestinal viruses other than polio, confirming the existence of a fertile environment for the uncontrolled propagation of infectious diseases,” the press release said.
Poliovirus, which had been eradicated from Gaza for 25 years, also causes paralysis.
He reappeared in Gaza 11 months after the start of the War of Israel against the enclave.
It is caused by a type of enterovirus and mainly affects children under the age of five.
No drugs in Gaza because he is struggling with famine
Gaza faces an artificial famine imposed by Israel, as well as a serious lack of drugs following the Israeli blockage.
The integrated classification of the food security phase (IPC) recently determined that Gaza faced a level 5 disaster, where “famine, death, extremely critical strictness and acute malnutrition are obvious”.
In mid-March, Israel imposed a total blockage on essential supplies, including food, water, medicines and fuel. The blockade is officially lifted, but the entry of supplies is extremely limited and random.
Gaza hospitals are exceeded, the United Nations reported on August 13.
Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, who represents occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, said that less than half of Gaza hospitals and 38% of its primary health centers are only operational or only operate minimal levels.
The UN also said that the occupation of the bed in large hospitals was far beyond the capacity.
The Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City operates at 250%, Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis at 180%, at the Children’s Hospital Al-Rétisi in Gaza City at 210%and at the Arabic Al-Ahli Arab hospital south of Gaza City at more than 300%.