HMPV New Case Reported From Gujarat

India witnesses over 200 Infections till December…

Amid rising cases of respiratory illness especially those due to Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) several state governments have heightened their surveillance. at least eight HMPV cases have been detected. An 80-year-old man tested positive for the infection on Thursday in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat.

Health Minister JP Nadda said that HMPV is not a new virus and asked people not to worry about it. He also urged the public to take precautions to avoid getting infected with viral infections, which are rising during the winter season.

Since January 7 at least nine cases of HMPV infection have been reported from India. Initially, HMPV cases were reported in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. On the same day, Gujarat confirmed another case, followed by two additional cases reported in Nagpur, Maharashtra. On Wednesday, another HMPV case was confirmed in Mumbai. One more case was reported from Ahmedabad on Thursday. 

HMPV infection is not new in India. Several HMPV cases were reported in December as well. Earlier, the former World Health Organization (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, told NDTV that keeping a tally of ‘HMPV cases in India’ is meaningless.

Reiterating that HMPV is not a new virus, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel says, "HMPV virus was found in 2001 and is still found today. It is one of the many viruses that are found in the respiratory system. An advisory has been issued by the Gujarat government."

In case it gets serious, HMPV infection can cause severe bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children, and its symptoms are indistinguishable from those caused by human respiratory syncytial virus.

Complications associated with HMPV include pneumonia, bronchiolitis, worsened respiratory conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bacterial pneumonia.

As HMPV sparked Covid-like concerns among the public, the World Health Organization (WHO) clarified in a statement that “Human metapneumovirus, hMPV, is not a newly discovered virus.” The organization further explained that it typically spreads during the winter and spring seasons.

Describing it as a seasonal virus, WHO noted that HMPV was first detected in 2001 and has been present in the human population for a considerable time. “It is a widely occurring virus that circulates in winter and spring, often causing respiratory symptoms similar to those of the common cold,” the health agency stated.