August 7, 2025 | 11:15 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Gaza Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday the first three deaths from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder, in the besieged Palestinian enclave. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the victims included two children and a 60-year-old woman.
Officials in Gaza have warned of a “dangerous escalation” in paralysis cases, driven by malnutrition and poor sanitation amid the ongoing war.
Ayman Abu Rahma, head of the preventive medicine department, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the ministry had recorded 64 GBS cases in the past two months alone, compared to only four or five annually before the conflict.
“Without prompt treatment within the first 48 hours, patients’ health deteriorates quickly,” he said, adding that a lack of intravenous immunoglobulin and other medications had proven fatal.
Laboratory tests recently detected the presence of enterovirus and poliovirus in Gaza, signaling what the Health Ministry described as a “fertile environment for uncontrollable outbreaks.”
The ministry urged international organizations to send life-saving medications immediately and called on Israel to lift its blockade.
On Wednesday, August 6, Israeli media outlet Haaretz reported a sharp increase in GBS cases, citing the Gaza Health Ministry. A total of 95 new cases were diagnosed in a single day, 45 of them children.
What is Guillain-Barré Syndrome?
Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system attacks peripheral nerves. It often begins with tingling and muscle weakness in the legs and can progress to full-body paralysis.
Around 20 percent of GBS patients require ventilator support within a week of hospital admission. The condition can also lead to complications such as irregular heart rhythms, blood pressure instability, nerve pain, digestive and bladder dysfunction, and life-threatening blood clots or bedsores.
Surge in Acute Flaccid Paralysis Cases
Doctors have also seen a rise in cases of acute flaccid paralysis, a condition similar to polio, particularly in young children.
“Roughly 80 percent of all infectious-disease notifications now involve that age group,” said Abu Rahma.
He attributed the increase to “atypical infections” linked to contaminated water and food supplies, along with severely weakened immune systems due to prolonged hunger.
Nurses at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis reported treating rising numbers of severely malnourished children, some of whom also suffer from paralysis.
According to Press TV, Gaza's Health Ministry recorded 45 cases of acute flaccid paralysis in June and July, marking an unprecedented figure.
Authorities warn that the outbreak is being exacerbated by severe water contamination, damaged sanitation infrastructure, and a critical shortage of essential medicines.
Overcrowding also contributes to the public health crisis. With residents confined to just 18 percent of Gaza’s territory, population density has reached 40,000 people per square kilometer—conditions that accelerate the spread of disease.
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