Health officials convinced the Chinese to rename the bulk of their polio to Guillaine Barre Syndrome (GBS). A study found that the new disorder (Chinese Paralytic syndrome) and the GBS was really polio (41). After mass vaccination in 1971, reports of polio went down but GBS increased about 10 fold.(Ref: Vaccination by Greg Beattie)

Tang XF, et al.     Guillain-Barre syndrome or "new" Chinese paralytic syndrome in northern China? Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1996 Apr;101(2):105-9. PMID: 8647015; UI: 96245462.

A serial study of clinical and magnetic stimulation motor evoked potentials (MEP) was accomplished in 44 patients with the acute flaccid paralytic syndrome which occurred in Northern China in 1991. Control data were provided by 70 healthy subjects from the same area. The cases came from the same area where a so-called new "Chinese paralytic syndrome" had been reported. We found the clinical features of these 44 patients to be similar to those of classical Guillain-Barre. Prolongation of MEP latency at 2 sites or on 2 occasions was found in 36 patients of whom 26 showed obvious clinical and electrophysiological recovery within 4-8 weeks. Three cases showed reduced MEP amplitude with normal latency, but in 2 of them the amplitude recovered in 2-8 weeks. Only 2 cases had no response at all time. We think 41 patients (93.7%) had predominant nerve demyelination. The 3 other patients (6.8%) showed axonal degeneration which is within the range found in previous reports of classical Guillain-Barre. We conclude that the acute paralytic syndrome seen in the summer of 1991 in Northern China represents a classical Guillain-Barre syndrome with demyelination of motor and sensory fibers. There is no reason to consider any special nomenclature such as "Chinese paralytic syndrome" or "acute motor axonal neuropathy
 

Zhang X, et al.     Guillain-Barre syndrome in six cities and provinces of northern China: is it a new entity? Chin Med J (Engl). 1995 Oct;108(10):734-8. Review. PMID: 8565657; UI: 96147668  

Forty cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome were reported, (GBS) which came from the regions where "Chinese Paralytic Syndrome" and "Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy (AMAN)" were presented before. A study on their clinical, electrophysiological and pathological features was conducted, records on 3,733 GBS cases reported in northern China from 1978 to 1992 were reviewed and compared with cases of "acute moter axonal nouropathy". The results showed that the clinical, electrophysiological and pathological features of GBS in north China are similar to those of typical GBS cases in western countries, though there seemed to be some special epidemiological features in age, seasonal and regional distribution. It was concluded that the GBS in northern China is demyelinating GBS dominantly, not a new entity.

Zhang Z, et al.   [Risk factors for Guillain-Barre syndrome in northern China: a case-control study]. Chung Kuo I Hsueh Ko Hsueh Yuan Hsueh Pao. 1995 Aug;17(4):291-5. Chinese. PMID: 8575052; UI: 96147928.

We conducted a case-control study in northern China to estimate possible risk factors for Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Forty patients were consecutively seen at the PUMC hospital and the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical College between July and September 1991. The diagnosis was established following the NINCDS criteria for GBS. Among 36 patients with measurements of motor evoked potentials, 34 had evidences of demyelination. Eighty controls chosen from spouses or siblings, and neighbors or work/school mates, were matched by sex and age (+/- 3 years). Using the Mantel-Haenszel estimate of the odds ratio, cold rain, overloaded activities, a history of diarrhea, common cold, and exposure to organophosphorus one month before onset, significantly increased, at least six-fold, the risk for development of GBS. Cases and controls did not differ in the number of previous vaccinations. We suggest that a single antigent is less likely of etiological importance in GBS.