It is characterized by the rapid onset of weakness and often paralysis of parts of the body, including the legs, arms, face and breathing muscles.
Most patients recover but many have long-term disabilities of varying severity.
The cause of GBS is unknown. Around 50 percent of cases occur shortly after a viral infection. Some theories suggest an autoimmune mechanism, which means that the patient s own immune system damages the nerve covering or insulation. Many cases of GBS have developed in people who received the 1976 swine flu vaccine. Most newly diagnosed patients are hospitalized, because progression of the disease is so unpredictable.