Daily Times

A common bacterium which is found in undercooked chicken can be a cause of paralysis.

It causes Guillain-Barre Syndrome – the leading cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis in humans, say researchers.

The research not only demonstrates how this food-borne bacterium known as Campylobacter jejuni triggers Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), but offers new information
for a cure.

If chicken is not cooked to the proper minimum internal temperature, bacteria can still exist.

“What our work has told us is that it takes a certain genetic makeup combined with a certain Campylobacter strain to cause this disease,” said Linda Mansfield from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in the US.

“The concerning thing is that many of these strains are resistant to antibiotics and our work shows that treatment with some antibiotics could actually make the disease worse,” said Mansfield.

GBS is the world’s leading cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis in humans and despite much speculation, the exact mechanisms of how this autoimmune disease develops have been widely unknown, researchers said.

GBS is a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system. The initial symptoms are typically changes in sensation or pain along with muscle weakness, beginning in the feet and hands. This often spreads to the arms and upper body with both sides being involved.