Covid-Like HMPV Virus Scare In China: India On High Alert, Monitoring Respiratory, Seasonal Influenza Cases

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Amid rising concerns over an outbreak of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China, India is monitoring the situation, and is also in touch with international agencies.

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which falls under the Union Health Ministry, is closely monitoring respiratory and seasonal influenza cases.

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely, validate information and update accordingly," news agency ANI quoted official sources as saying.

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Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), belonging to the Pneumoviridae, Metapneumovirus genus, is an enveloped single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus, says the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).

Incubation period

China CDC says that the incubation period after infection is about three to five days, and the immune protection induced by HMPV is too weak to curb repeated infection.

Respiratory disease

According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages.

Symptoms

- Symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath.

- It most likely spreads from an infected person to others through secretions from coughing and sneezing, close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands.

Precautions

- Patients can help prevent the spread by washing hands often with soap; avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands, and close contact with people who are sick.

Need for heightened surveillance

Stating that the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) outbreak in China highlights the need for heightened surveillance and early detection mechanisms to curb its spread, Dr Arjun Dang, CEO of Dangs Lab told ANI that HMPV, a relatively under-recognized pathogen, has been a silent contributor to seasonal respiratory illnesses globally.

Monitoring, says China

Last week, China's diseases control authority said that it was piloting a monitoring system for pneumonia of unknown origin, with cases of some respiratory diseases expected to rise through the winter.

Recent cases detected include pathogens such as the rhinovirus and human metapneumovirus, with cases of the human metapneumovirus among people under the age of 14 showing an upward trend, especially in northern provinces.

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