Amid the rising concerns over an outbreak of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China, India has stepped up efforts to monitor the situation and is actively coordinating with international health agencies to assess potential risks.
Sources in the Union Health Ministry said that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been entrusted with the task to closely monitor respiratory infections and seasonal influenza cases within India, ensuring that the situation is continuously evaluated.
"We will continue to monitor the situation closely, validate information and update accordingly," according to a news agency, citing official sources.
Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), belonging to the Pneumoviridae, Metapneumovirus genus, is an enveloped single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus, according to the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).
China CDC says that the incubation period after infection is about three to five days, and the immune protection induced by HMPV is too weak to curb repeated infection.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages. According to reports, in young children and the elderly, HMPV can be severe. Those with weakened immune systems, the virus can cause serious illness.
Symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. It most likely spreads from an infected person to others through secretions from coughing and sneezing, and close personal contact such as touching or shaking hands.
Patients can help prevent the spread by washing hands often with soap; avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands, and close contact with people who are sick, as per the doctors.
Several reports have suggested that due to the surge in respiratory illness, particularly HMPV, hospitals and crematories in China are struggling to deal with the situation.
The situation has raised concerns among the healthcare facilities, especially children's hospitals, which are reportedly under stress due to a sharp rise in pneumonia and "white lung"
cases, a term often referred to describe severe pneumonia symptoms, as per the
reports.
