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HMPV not new virus in India, Health Ministry says as cases are detected

ByMTNews Desk

Jan 7, 2025 #HMPV, #ICMR, #India, #WHO

The Union Health Ministry has reassured the public that Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is not a new virus in India, confirming its ongoing circulation both globally and within the country. According to the Ministry, all current cases in India have no travel history and the infected individuals are recovering well.

In a statement issued on January 6, 2025, Health Minister J.P. Nadda emphasized that the virus is not new to India, having been identified globally since 2001. “Health experts have clarified that HMPV is not a new virus. It has been circulating worldwide for many years and can affect individuals of all age groups through respiratory transmission. Our health systems and surveillance networks are fully vigilant, and there is no need for panic,” he said in a video statement.

He added that agencies in India are keeping a close watch on the situation in China as well as in the neighbouring countries while the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken cognisance of the situation.

The Ministry also assured the public that there has been no unusual surge in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases, based on data from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist, WHO, in her social media post on Monday said that HMPV is nothing to panic about. “It’s a known virus that causes respiratory infections, mostly mild. Rather than jump at detection of every pathogen, we should all take normal precautions when we have a cold: wear a mask, wash hands, avoid crowds, consult doctor if there are severe symptoms,” she wrote.

Additional Professor, Internal Medicine at All India Institute of Medical Science, Delhi Neeraj Nischal also said that we cannot compare HMPV with the coronavirus as COVID-19 was completely new and we didn’t have any immunity against it.

“HMPV has been described since 2001, and even based on evidence, it dates back to the late 1950s. By the age of 10, the majority of the children develop immunity against this,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, HMPV cases have been confirmed in two infants from Karnataka (none of them had any travel history) and Gujarat. The two cases from Karnataka were identified through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens, as part of ICMR’s ongoing efforts to monitor respiratory illnesses across the country.

Also a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district, was detected with HMPV infection at a private hospital in Ahmedabad, was born through premature delivery, said principal secretary (Medical & Health) Gayatri Rathore in Jaipur on Monday.

Health Departments for Delhi, Karnataka, and Maharashtra have now issued an advisory for dos and don’ts to tackle the possible spread of the virus. The Central government also noted that it is monitoring the situation through all available surveillance channels while ICMR will continue to track trends in HMPV circulation throughout the year. The WHO is already providing timely updates regarding the situation in China to further inform ongoing measures.
(Sourced from The Hindu)

MT

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