Wed Jan 08 07:10:00 UTC 2025: ## India Downplays Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) Concerns Amidst Global Circulation

**New Delhi, January 6, 2025** – The Indian Health Ministry announced on Monday that Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory virus, is circulating in India, but stressed there is no cause for alarm. The Ministry confirmed cases in several states, including Karnataka and Gujarat, but emphasized that none of the infected individuals have a travel history and are recovering well.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda stated in a video message that HMPV is not a new virus, having been identified in 2001 and circulating globally for years. He explained that it spreads through respiratory droplets and can affect people of all ages. He assured the public that India’s health systems and surveillance networks are closely monitoring the situation, both domestically and internationally, particularly in light of recent cases in China.

Data from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) shows no unusual surge in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former WHO chief scientist, echoed this sentiment on social media, advising standard precautions such as mask-wearing, handwashing, and social distancing for cold symptoms. Dr. Neeraj Nischal, an Additional Professor of Internal Medicine at AIIMS Delhi, further clarified that HMPV is unlike COVID-19, as immunity develops in most children by age 10.

While confirmed cases in infants have been reported in Karnataka, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, health advisories have been issued by Delhi, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The central government and ICMR are actively tracking HMPV circulation, with the WHO providing regular updates on the situation in China.

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