Old ailment, known pathogen: A warning against HMPV panic

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.

- Rhythma Kaul

NEW DELHI: 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.