HMPV – latest: Bali monitors flights from China as Beijing urged to be transparent over cases
Authorities in Bali have asked nationals from China and Malaysia to fill out a health pass three days before their arrivals in the island nation
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Your support makes all the difference.Indonesia has started monitoring flights from China and Malaysia amid concern over rising HMPV infections across the region.
Those travelling to Bali will have to fill out a form three days before their arrival to the island providing a record of passengers’ health, according to local health authorities.
It comes as more countries reported spikes in human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections, though largely in line with winter seasonal trends.
Singapore said on Wednesday it had witnessed a spike in HMPV infections at the end of 2024 but added that it was consistent with expectations due to increased social gatherings and holiday travel.
Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, infectious disease expert associate professor of medicine at The Australian National University, said it was “vital” for China to share information in a “timely manner”.
The virus, which causes flu or cold-like symptoms, has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children.
Amid a flurry of media interest, India’s health minister JP Nadda said HMPV’s “occurrence is not new” and there was “no reason to worry”.
What is HMPV? China steps up monitoring amid new virus outbreak
What is HMPV? China steps up monitoring amid new virus outbreak
Authorities in Beijing have downplayed surge in cases, which comes five years after world was first alerted to emergence of Covid-19
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What is really behind the mystery new virus gripping China and the world
As spikes in a respiratory virus and images of overwhelmed intensive care units emerge, there is a worrying echo of the early days of Covid. Zoë Beaty asks if Beijing is downplaying what is happening in the northern provinces and how worried the rest of us should be
More information needed, experts say
Dr Andrew Catchpole, chief scientific officer at London-based research organisation hVIVO, said “more information on the specific strain” of the virus was needed, but that experts did not consider it to have pandemic potential.
“HMPV is usually detected in the winter periods but it does seem that the rates of serious infection may be higher in China than what we would expect in a normal year,” he told the Evening Standard.
“We need more information on the specific strain that is circulating to start to understand if this is the usual circulating strains or if the virus causing high infection rates in China has some differences.”
US monitoring HMPV cases
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently “monitoring” reports of increasing cases of human metapneumovirus in China’s northern provinces, according to reports.
“CDC is aware of reported increases of HMPV in China and is in regular contact with international partners and monitoring reports of increased disease,” a spokesperson for the CDC said.
“These reports are not currently a cause for concern in the U.S.,” the spokesperson added.
What is HMPV? China steps up monitoring amid new virus outbreak
What is HMPV? China steps up monitoring amid new virus outbreak
Authorities in Beijing have downplayed surge in cases, which comes five years after world was first alerted to emergence of Covid-19
No global health emergency
The World Health Organization has not classified the increase in HMPV infections as a global health emergency, but the UN agency continues to monitor the situation closely.
Professor Jill Carr, a virologist at Flinders University, says HMPV outbreak is very different from Covid, “where the virus was completely new in humans and arose from a spillover from animals”.
“HMPV can certainly make people very sick,” she notes, “but the current situation in China with high HMPV cases is very different from the threats initially posed by SARS-CoV-2.”
Current situation in China
China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration recently acknowledged an increase in respiratory infections, including HMPV.
In response, it has launched a pilot programme to track pneumonia of unknown origin, aiming to improve the identification and management of such cases.
This involves closer coordination between laboratories and health agencies and ensuring timely reporting of new cases.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday the disease was spreading at “a smaller scale compared to the previous year”.
This mirrors seasonal trends seen in other countries, including the UK, which is experiencing similar spikes in respiratory illnesses this winter.
Pictured: People wait to be seen for HMPV in China
What Is HMPV?
Human metapneumovirus, first identified in 2001 by Dutch scientists, is a common respiratory virus known to cause mild cold-like symptoms in most people. However, it can lead to severe illness in infants, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions.
Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, describes HMPV as one of many viruses contributing to winter pressure on healthcare systems.
“It causes respiratory illness in babies and the elderly, which can result in hospitalisation. For most other age groups, it simply causes cold-like symptoms,” he says.
What is HMPV? China steps up monitoring amid new virus outbreak
What is HMPV? China steps up monitoring amid new virus outbreak
Authorities in Beijing have downplayed surge in cases, which comes five years after world was first alerted to emergence of Covid-19
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