HMPV virus cases rising across world
Jan 07, 2025
Beijing [China], January 7: A Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) outbreak in China has sparked global concern, prompting countries like India to closely monitor the virus and its transmission. Malaysia has also been experiencing a notable increase in HMPV cases.
On Saturday, the Indian Health Ministry held a meeting to review the growing number of cases. However, authorities maintain that there is currently no reason for alarm.
China is currently facing an outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and videos on social media purportedly show congested hospitals and overburdened healthcare systems. Health experts have raised concerns over HMPV, a respiratory virus in other parts of the region afflicting a number of Asian countries.
China has downplayed the outbreak of flu and said that the country is safe to travel. Identified in 2001, HMPV is part of the Pneumoviridae family, which also includes respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as noted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus commonly causes upper and lower respiratory infections, with symptoms resembling those of a cold or flu.
HMPV can infect individuals of all ages, though it poses a higher risk to young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.
According to the CDC, common symptoms of HMPV include coughing, a runny or congested nose, fever, sore throat, and in severe instances, wheezing or difficulty breathing.
Source: Qatar Tribune
