Old ailment, known pathogen: Worries as avian flu virus breaches species barriers

ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL COUNT OF H5N1 HUMAN INFECTIONS IS LOW, THE STEADY DRIP OF HUMAN, ANIMAL DETECTIONS IS NOT A GOOD SIGN, SAY EXPERTS

- Rhythma Kaul

NEW DELHI: For everyone holding their breath over fears of HMPV, here's a quick summary: it's an old ailment, caused by a known pathogen, and many people are likely to have been exposed to the virus by the time they are five years old. Now, read on, and as the good book says: Don't Panic!

Several states on Monday announced they had detected infections of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), days after reports of an outbreak in China caused concern in India, especially as it came on the fifth anniversary of the Sars-CoV-2 outbreak in the Asian nation where news of its early spread was regarded to have been suppressed. But the current outbreak—there is no reliable confirmation whether there even is a concerning outbreak in China—poses no reasons for alarm, experts and officials reiterated on Monday, amid growing panic in India.

"It is emphasized that HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory illnesses associated with HMPV have been reported in various countries," stated India's health ministry, noting that current data from both the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) show no unusual surge in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in the country. Additional professor for internal medicine at AIIMS Delhi, Dr Neeraj Nischal, added: "Let's not compare this (HMPV) with Covid-19 because that was a completely new virus and none of us had immunity against it. HMPV has been described since 2001, and based on evidence, it dates back to late 1950s. By the age of 10, a majority of children develop immunity against this virus."

The alarm surrounding HMPV stems from a lack of awareness. The virus is estimated to have jumped from birds to other species some 200 years ago. Its widespread presence and typically mild manifestation place it among the common pathogens that affect populations worldwide.