After news of respiratory infections caused by human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China, at least two cases of the virus were detected during routine surveillance by ICMR’s (Indian Council of Medical Research) network of laboratories.
Clarifying the status of the virus, the Union Health Ministry issued a statement, saying, “HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory illnesses associated with HMPV have been reported in various countries.” It added that there was no history of international travel in the two cases that were picked up during surveillance, meaning that these infections have no connection to the reported surge in respiratory infections in China.
The HMPV infection in India was detected in a three-month old girl and an eight-month old boy who were treated at Baptist hospital-Bengaluru. Both the children came in with symptoms of pneumonia, the girl has since been discharged and the boy is recovering.
Why is vigilance at its peak?
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Earlier, the Health Ministry convened a Joint Monitoring Group to keep an eye on the situation in China. The group sought timely updates from the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding the situation in China.
Winter months are when an increase in all types of respiratory infections is reported from across the globe. While there is no statement from Chinese health authorities, the Joint Monitoring Group sought timely updates from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the situation in China.
What do we know about HMPV?
Unlike Covid-19 pandemic where the virus causing the infections was unknown, HMPV is an already known viral infection that leads to an estimated 12 per cent of all the respiratory infections in children. The virus is very similar to RSV(Respiratory syncytial virus), which is the other commonly seen viral respiratory infection. The HMPV was first isolated from 28 children in The Netherlands in 2001. It is a descendant of avian metapneumovirus that leads to a variety of symptoms in different birds.
What are symptoms?
The virus leads to symptoms similar to the flu such as cough, fever, runny nose, and sore throat. It may sometimes lead to more severe symptoms like pneumonia — a lung infection that causes air sacs to be filled with fluids. A severe infection is more likely in children under the age of five years when they get the infection for the first time. It may also cause severe symptoms in the elderly and those with a weakened immune system — much in the same way as influenza.
What is Mycoplasma pneumoniae?
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the common causes of walking pneumonia — a mild form of the disease that does not need bed rest or hospitalisation. There was indeed a surge in mycoplasma pneumoniae cases towards the end of 2023 in China as it was coming out of its harsh lockdown. The number of infections had gone down during the pandemic, owing to hygiene protocols of wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining social distance.