Guatemala on alert for a 'health outbreak' that causes paralysis and can be fatal. The Health authorities have issued an epidemiological population alert for Guillain Barré Syndrome.

The cases are concentrated in Suchitepéquez, Retalhuleu and the Sololá coast. There are 72 confirmed cases, 5 deaths, including a minor, and 12 suspected cases. The origin of the disease is not known with certainty, but a bacteria that causes gastroenteritis is suspected.