Guillain-Barré syndrome

Demyelinating condition of the peripheral nerves that usually develops 1-3 weeks after a viral infection and is thought to be an allergic response. The main symptoms are numbness and weakness of the limbs, with some sensory loss. In one in five cases the respiratory and facial muscles are affected and paralysis may set in. There is no specific treatment and recovery may take many months.

There have been reports suggesting that certain vaccines could cause Guillain-Barré syndrome; the issues is still under investigation (as of 2007).