Health experts noted that HMPV is not a newly discovered virus, and that while the current surge is of concern, it is unlikely to lead to another pandemic of the scale of Covid-19. - Photo: AFP
KOLKATA/BEIJING: India on Monday (Jan 6) reported eight cases of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) that has been driving a spike in respiratory illnesses in China, stoking fears among sections of the Indian public that another pandemic may be in the making.
Two of the eight HMPV cases in the country were reported on Jan 6 from Bengaluru, in the southern state of Karnataka.
They include a three-month-old female infant, who has recovered and has been discharged, and an eight-month-old male infant, who is said to be recovering.
Both the infants were admitted with symptoms of bronchopneumonia, a type of pneumonia that causes inflammation in the bronchial tubes and lung tissue.
A government statement said neither of the affected patients had any history of international travel.
It also stated that the government’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme had indicated “no unusual surge” in influenza-like illness or severe acute respiratory illness cases in the country.
A third patient – a two-month-old male infant – was detected with the virus at a private hospital in Ahmedabad, in the western state of Gujarat.
According to Dr Bhavin Solanki, a senior health official with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the child was diagnosed with an HMPV infection on Dec 26, but the case was reported to the authorities only on Jan 6.
West Bengal state capital Kolkata, too, has reported three HMPV cases since November, according to a Jan 6 report in The Economic Times.
Dr Sudipta Mitra from Peerless Hospital in the city, where all the three cases were detected, told the publication that the cases were of a “mild form”.
Another two cases were reported in Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, on Jan 6.
Health experts noted that HMPV is not a newly discovered virus, and that while the current surge is of concern, it is unlikely to lead to another pandemic of the scale of Covid-19.
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said HMPV is “a known virus that causes respiratory infections, mostly mild”.
“Rather than jump at detection of every pathogen, we should all take normal precautions when we have a cold: wear a mask, wash hands, avoid crowds, consult a doctor if (there are) severe symptoms,” she added on X on Jan 6.
Notably, winter and spring are peak seasons for HMPV, which was first discovered in 2001 and has been in circulation globally since then, including in India.
In contrast, Covid-19 was a new disease that was unknown to mankind before 2019.
Despite that, as well as assurances from the Indian government that it was on top of the situation, the country’s stock market tanked. The benchmark Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex index shed over 1,200 points on Jan 6, as the initial HMPV cases in India spooked traders.
Simultaneously, the India VIX – a volatility index also referred to as the “fear gauge” – jumped over 16 per cent the same day, reflecting growing worry among investors.
Other than the HMPV worries, analysts attributed the tumbling stocks to poor quarterly results and foreign fund outflows.
The word “lockdown” was also trending in India on X on the evening of Jan 6.
The authorities in India have been on alert since last week, after reports indicating a surge in respiratory illness in China since December 2024 began emerging.
It has fuelled fears in India that HMPV could trigger another public health crisis, as many in the country remember how the first cases of Covid-19 were detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, before that disease spread globally.
The Indian government on Jan 4 convened a meeting in New Delhi with officials from WHO, and stressed that India is “well-equipped to handle any potential increase in respiratory illnesses”.
It said it is closely monitoring the situation through all available channels and has requested that WHO share timely updates about the situation in China.
The number of laboratories testing for HMPV will be increased, and HMPV trends monitored for the entire year, it added.
The ongoing situation in China is not unusual in view of the ongoing flu season, according to experts.
Reports suggest that the causes of the current surge are the influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and HMPV – the usual pathogens expected during the season.
HMPV spreads through droplets that are released by an infected person while coughing or sneezing, close personal contact such as shaking hands, and touching contaminated surfaces. It can cause severe respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially young children, older adults and others with weakened immune systems.
There have been signs of heightened public vigilance in China, with more commuters spotted wearing masks on public transport.
However, there does not appear to be widespread fears about an HMPV outbreak in the country.
Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researcher Zheng Lishu told Xinhua news agency that HMPV is not a new virus strain and should not cause alarm.
“For most people, HMPV infection manifests as a self-limiting disease, and most people’s symptoms gradually ease in about a week,” she said.
According to the Chinese CDC’s latest weekly statistics on acute respiratory diseases that were released on Jan 2, the incidence of HMPV rose 0.1 percentage point over the previous week to 6.2 per cent.
The centre said that HMPV was currently among the top three “outpatient flu-like illnesses”, as well as for cases requiring hospitalisation for severe acute respiratory infections.
But influenza was still the most infectious seasonal disease, with its weekly incidence rising by 6.2 percentage points to 30.2 per cent. The statistics are based on regular surveillance of respiratory samples from hospitals in China.
When The Straits Times visited two local hospitals in Beijing on Jan 6, there was a steady flow of patients, but no long queues, and facilities were not overwhelmed. Visitors there told ST that same-day consultations were “definitely possible”.
In response to the growing rate of acute respiratory infections, which is expected to continue in the coming weeks, the authorities across China have advised citizens to wash their hands frequently and avoid crowded places.
Similar advice has also been issued in India, with health experts stressing the importance of early detection of cases and timely reporting to the state and central authorities so that the virus’ spread can be monitored effectively.
Infectious disease expert Hsu Li Yang from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health said the recent rise in HMPV cases in China was unusual in the sense that RSV, a closely related but better known virus, usually affects more people than HMPV.
But otherwise, HMPV is a well known cause of respiratory tract infections, especially during winter. Hence, the rise in cases in China – especially at just 6 per cent of tested individuals – is not out of the ordinary, he told ST.
“In terms of the virus causing a major outbreak with a surge of cases, the potential is definitely there. But it will be nowhere near the scale of Covid-19 or influenza,” added Professor Hsu, who is vice-dean of global health at the school. - The Straits Times/ANN
