HMPV virus – latest: India authorities step up monitoring after outbreak in China

Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, an expert on infections and immunity at the University of Oxford, says that HMPV mostly affects babies and the elderly. “In most other age groups it simply causes the symptoms of a cold,” he tells the Science Media Centre.

“Human metapneumovirus virus is a common respiratory virus which was first identified almost a quarter of a century ago by Dutch scientists,” Sir Andrew says.

“It is one of the many viruses which circulate in the winter and add to the winter pressures on the NHS.

“The reports of respiratory infections in China in the past few days appear to be attributed to both influenza and this human metapneumovirus, which is rather similar to the situation in the UK this week. A vaccine for a similar virus, RSV, was launched by the NHS in 2024 and new vaccines are being developed which could protect against both RSV and human metapneumovirus in one jab.”

Two children, aged seven and 14, have tested positive for HMPV in Nagpur in Maharashtra, bringing the total number of reported cases of the respiratory illness this season to seven.

On 3 January, the children were taken to a private hospital in the Ramdaspeth area of the city for treatment of fever and cough.

Following diagnostic tests, hospital authorities confirmed the presence of HMPV, a respiratory virus that affects both the upper and lower respiratory tract, causing symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, and sore throat.

Before this, two cases of HMPV were reported in Tamil Nadu, two in Karnataka and one in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

HMPV has been in circulation worldwide since it was first identified in 2001 and cases are not uncommon in India.

With reports of overcrowding in Chinese hospitals, leaders in the country are attempting to control a new wave of the virus with a spike in cases in northern regions, particularly amongst children.

A surge in cases has also been reported in India, Malaysia and Kazakhstan.

HMPV is a respiratory disease that causes flu or cold-like symptoms. Most cases are mild, but infection can increase health risks – particularly for the elderly, young children and people with a low immune system – and lead to severe complications such as pneumonia.

The Chinese government has pushed back on claims that HMPV cases were skyrocketing in the nation.

“Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season,” the Chinese foreign ministry said. “The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year.”

A report in state-run Global Times quoted Li Tongzeng, an expert on respiratory and infectious diseases at Beijing You’an Hospital as saying that HMPV is “not a new virus” and that it has been detected in children in cities such as Beijing, Southwest China’s Chongqing, and South China’s Guangdong province.

The Nanjing Center for Disease Control and Prevention in East China’s Jiangsu Province advised residents to remain vigilant against potential infections in June last year, the outlet reported.

It also noted that “HMPV is currently prevalent in the US”, spreads through respiratory droplets and has an incubation period of three to five days.

Currently, there are no antiviral medications specifically for HMPV. Treatment focuses on supportive care to manage moderate or severe symptoms, according to experts.

“If you’re wheezing, we’ll give bronchodilators,” Dr Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News, referring to medications that relax and open airways while helping to clear mucus from the lungs.

“If you’re dehydrated, we provide fluids, and we work to reduce the fever.”

Dr Chin-Hong also noted that co-infections, such as bacterial infections, can occur in some cases, which may require antibiotics for treatment.

Chinese health officials are monitoring an increase in cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory virus that can cause both upper and lower respiratory diseases.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), data from China indicates “a recent rise in acute respiratory infections”. However, the WHO clarified that “the overall scale and intensity of respiratory infectious diseases in China this year are lower than last year”.

Chinese officials have generally played down the outbreak, though state media confirmed cases had been “detected in children in a number of Chinese cities such as Beijing, Southwest China’s Chongqing, and South China’s Guangdong Province”.

Authorities in Beijing have released new guidance for the public “on how to prevent the disease including frequently washing hands and increasing immunity”.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday that while the agency is “monitoring reports of increased disease” in China, these reports are “not currently a cause for concern in the US”.

Maharashtra health minister Prakash Abitkar has reassured the public not to panic over HMPV, as no cases have been reported in the state.

“We are aware that this virus has been around for a while. Surveillance is underway and we will follow the Centre’s guidelines.

Hence, let us stay positive and not panic,” Mr Abitkar told The Indian Express.

Experts have described the virus as mild and self-limiting, mostly causing cold-like symptoms.

High-risk groups include children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals.

Precautionary measures, such as good hygiene and covering the mouth while sneezing or coughing, have been advised.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed two cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka through routine surveillance.

The cases, identified at Bengaluru Baptist Hospital, were part of ICMR’s nationwide monitoring of respiratory illnesses.

One of the cases involves a three-month-old female infant diagnosed with HMPV after being admitted with bronchopneumonia.

The infant has since been discharged.

The second case involves an eight-month-old male infant who tested positive on 3 January, also with a history of bronchopneumonia.

With HMPV infections reported across several Indian states, Delhi’s health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has directed the health department to ensure hospitals in the capital are prepared to handle any potential rise in respiratory illnesses.

He instructed the health secretary to inspect three hospitals daily and submit reports on essential drug availability, ICU beds, equipment condition, and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants.

The health department was also ordered to maintain communication with the central government and provide timely updates.

Tamil Nadu in southern India has detected two cases of HMPV, the health authorities confirmed.

Both patients, one each from Chennai and Salem, are reported to be stable.

India has reported at least five cases of HMPV. The union health ministry said in a statement that “HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory illnesses associated with HMPV have been reported in various countries”.

It noted that the two cases identified through surveillance in India had no history of international travel, indicating that these infections are unrelated to the reported surge in respiratory infections in China.