HMPV virus – latest: US monitoring China cases as Bali steps up checks on flights from the country
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.The US is monitoring cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections after a reported surge in cases across China.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was currently looking at reports of increasing cases in the US but played down any concern.
It comes as 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.
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.
Can HMPV virus spread to other countries?
Hong Kong has reported a few cases of HMPV. Neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Taiwan are keeping a close watch on the situation. Cambodia’s Communicable Disease Control Department has issued warnings about HMPV, noting its similarity to Covid-19 and influenza.
Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control has said the virus’s higher risks for children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.
In neighbouring India, officials said there is no need for panic as HMPV is “like any other respiratory virus”.
“There has been news doing the rounds about a metapneumovirus outbreak in China. Let me be very clear on that count. Metapneumovirus is like any other respiratory virus which causes the common cold, and in the very old and the very young it could cause flu-like symptoms,” Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) official Dr Atul Goel said.
Reassuring citizens and tourists, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said: “I can assure you that the Chinese government cares about the health of Chinese citizens and foreigners coming to China”, adding that “it is safe to travel in China”.
Read more by Stuti Mishra here:
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
Chinese government pushes back on claims of HMPV outbreak
The Chinese government has pushed back on claims that HMPV cases were skyrocketing in the nation.
“Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season,” the Chinese foreign ministry said. “The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year.”
A report in state-run Global Times quoted Li Tongzeng, an expert on respiratory and infectious diseases at Beijing You’an Hospital as saying that HMPV is “not a new virus” and that it has been detected in children in cities such as Beijing, Southwest China’s Chongqing, and South China’s Guangdong province.
The Nanjing Center for Disease Control and Prevention in East China’s Jiangsu Province advised residents to remain vigilant against potential infections in June last year, the outlet reported.
It also noted that “HMPV is currently prevalent in the US”, spreads through respiratory droplets and has an incubation period of three to five days.
What is HMPV? China steps up monitoring amid new virus outbreak
China is experiencing a surge in infections of a respiratory virus, leading to reports of overcrowded hospitals, new monitoring measures and public concerns about an outbreak.
The virus, identified as human metapneumovirus (HMPV), has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children.
The outbreak comes five years after the world was first alerted to the emergence of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, which later turned into a global pandemic with seven million deaths reported.
Photos and videos of people wearing masks in hospitals in China emerged on social media platforms and local reports compared the scenes to the initial outbreak of Covid.
Health authorities are implementing new measures to monitor and manage the spread of pneumonia cases of unknown origin. Nonetheless, Beijing has downplayed the developments as an annual winter occurrence.
Read more here:
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
How to prevent HMPV transmission
HMPV (human metapneumovirus) spreads through direct contact with infected individuals or by touching contaminated surfaces, experts say.
Unlike viruses like flu, RSV, and Covid-19, there is no vaccine for HMPV, Dr Carla Garcia Carreno, director of infection prevention and control at Children’s Medical Center in Plano, Texas says. “We don’t have that advantage of priming or boosting our immune system to fight these viruses. But still, everything else that we learned for Covid can apply to metapneumovirus.”
She told CBS News: “If somebody’s sick, try to avoid crowding so they don’t expose everybody, especially the vulnerable people. If that person is sick and can not avoid going to a place where other people are, then try to use a mask, use cough and sneezing etiquette and good hand washing.”
Expert says no sign of serious global issue with HMPV infections
Prof Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, has offered reassurances that there are no signs of a more serious global issue with HMPV, despite a recent increase in diagnoses in England.
He told the Science Media Centre: “In England we have seen a fairly marked increase in recent weeks – so far the peak per cent positivity is a little over what it was this time last year so no major difference to usual, unless infections positivity rates continue to increase in coming weeks.
“So overall, I don’t think there [are] currently any signs of a more serious global issue.”
He added: “HMPV is a quite common respiratory infection that peaks in winter. Almost every child will have at least one infection with HMPV by their fifth birthday and we can expect to go on to to have multiple reinfections throughout life.”
HMPV mainly affects babies and elderly, says Oxford expert
Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, an expert on infections and immunity at the University of Oxford, says that HMPV mostly affects babies and the elderly. “In most other age groups it simply causes the symptoms of a cold,” he tells the Science Media Centre.
“Human metapneumovirus virus is a common respiratory virus which was first identified almost a quarter of a century ago by Dutch scientists,” Sir Andrew says.
“It is one of the many viruses which circulate in the winter and add to the winter pressures on the NHS.
“The reports of respiratory infections in China in the past few days appear to be attributed to both influenza and this human metapneumovirus, which is rather similar to the situation in the UK this week. A vaccine for a similar virus, RSV, was launched by the NHS in 2024 and new vaccines are being developed which could protect against both RSV and human metapneumovirus in one jab.”
Seven cases of HMPV infections in India after two more cases detected in Nagpur
Two children, aged seven and 14, have tested positive for HMPV in Nagpur in Maharashtra, bringing the total number of reported cases of the respiratory illness this season to seven.
On 3 January, the children were taken to a private hospital in the Ramdaspeth area of the city for treatment of fever and cough.
Following diagnostic tests, hospital authorities confirmed the presence of HMPV, a respiratory virus that affects both the upper and lower respiratory tract, causing symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, and sore throat.
Before this, two cases of HMPV were reported in Tamil Nadu, two in Karnataka and one in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
HMPV has been in circulation worldwide since it was first identified in 2001 and cases are not uncommon in India.
Everything we know about HMPV cases in the UK – and how to get a test
A surge in cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China has prompted some alarm and led to fears of a possible worldwide outbreak.
With reports of overcrowding in Chinese hospitals, leaders in the country are attempting to control a new wave of the virus with a spike in cases in northern regions, particularly amongst children.
A surge in cases has also been reported in India, Malaysia and Kazakhstan.
HMPV is a respiratory disease that causes flu or cold-like symptoms. Most cases are mild, but infection can increase health risks - particularly for the elderly, young children and people with a low immune system - and lead to severe complications such as pneumonia.
Read more here:
Everything we know about HMPV cases in the UK – and how to get a test
There has been a surge in HMPV cases in northern China
Chinese government pushes back on claims of HMPV outbreak
The Chinese government has pushed back on claims that HMPV cases were skyrocketing in the nation.
“Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season,” the Chinese foreign ministry said. “The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year.”
A report in state-run Global Times quoted Li Tongzeng, an expert on respiratory and infectious diseases at Beijing You’an Hospital as saying that HMPV is “not a new virus” and that it has been detected in children in cities such as Beijing, Southwest China’s Chongqing, and South China’s Guangdong province.
The Nanjing Center for Disease Control and Prevention in East China’s Jiangsu Province advised residents to remain vigilant against potential infections in June last year, the outlet reported.
It also noted that “HMPV is currently prevalent in the US”, spreads through respiratory droplets and has an incubation period of three to five days.
Is there treatment for HMPV?
Currently, there are no antiviral medications specifically for HMPV. Treatment focuses on supportive care to manage moderate or severe symptoms, according to experts.
“If you’re wheezing, we’ll give bronchodilators,” Dr Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News, referring to medications that relax and open airways while helping to clear mucus from the lungs.
“If you’re dehydrated, we provide fluids, and we work to reduce the fever.”
Dr Chin-Hong also noted that co-infections, such as bacterial infections, can occur in some cases, which may require antibiotics for treatment.
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