As India logs 5 cases of HMPV, here's all you need to know about how human metapneumovirus is different from Covid-19 and warning signs to watch out for.
HMPV virus is not a novel virus - it was first isolated in 2001 by Van den Hoogen and her colleagues in Netherlands in the nasopharyngeal secretions of children with respiratory tract infections. The virus was named human metapneumovirus because it was a metapneumovirus that used humans as a host.
The virus accounts for 4-16% of acute respiratory infections globally, with cases usually peaking between November and May. While most adults have developed immunity through previous exposure, hMPV can cause more severe symptoms in infants encountering it for the first time and in people with weakened immune systems.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sangeeta V Budur, Consultant - Paediatrics and Paediatric Intensive Care at Aster RV Hospital, shared, “It is known to cause a range of illnesses from mild upper respiratory infections to severe pneumonia , bronchiolitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. About 5 to 25% of the acute pediatric lower respiratory tract infections are associated with HMPV. The viral outbreaks peak in winter and spring season in northern hemisphere and June and July in southern hemisphere.”