Mon Jan 06 17:50:25 IST 2025: ## Three Cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) Reported in India; Experts Downplay Concerns
**NEW DELHI, INDIA** – Three cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) have been reported in India, sparking a brief period of concern. However, health experts are reassuring the public that HMPV is not a new virus and that the majority of the Indian population already possesses immunity. The three cases involve a three-month-old and an eight-month-old from Bengaluru, Karnataka, and a two-year-old from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
While the Karnataka infants were hospitalized with bronchopneumonia, a form of pneumonia, both are now recovering. The Ahmedabad child, experiencing cold and cough symptoms, is also stable. None of the children have a recent travel history to countries experiencing outbreaks, such as China.
Dr. Harshal R Salve of AIIMS New Delhi emphasized that HMPV has circulated in India for a considerable time, leading to widespread immunity. He stressed that severe illness from HMPV is rare, urging against panic and rumour-mongering. Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan of the Kerala State IMA Research Cell echoed this sentiment, highlighting that HMPV commonly causes mild colds, and the recent diagnoses are not unusual.
Although HMPV cases have been reported globally, including in China, experts caution against linking the Indian cases to the current outbreak in China. Further investigation is needed to determine if the Indian strains are novel or differ in virulence from previously observed strains. Whole-genome sequencing is underway to clarify this.
The Indian government has issued standard precautionary measures to prevent respiratory illness spread, advising handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding crowded spaces when sick. While monitoring the situation, health officials maintain that there is no cause for widespread alarm.
First Piper 