Professor Paul Tambyah, the immediate past president of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. - Photo: Today file
SINGAPORE: There was a rise in the number of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, infections in Singapore at the end of 2024, but it was consistent with previous years, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.
The rise in cases, typically seen during the year end, is likely due to increased social gatherings and holiday travel, it added.
In replying to queries from The Straits Times, an MOH spokesperson said weekly HMPV cases among acute respiratory infection (ARI) samples in the community here were up to between 5.5 per cent and 9 per cent in December 2024, from a range of 0.8 per cent to 9 per cent during other periods in the year.
HMPV is a virus that usually causes cold-like symptoms – such as coughing, wheezing, runny nose and sore throat – which clear on their own in three to six days, but it can lead to more serious conditions such as bronchitis or pneumonia, particularly in young children, adults aged over 65 and people who are immunocompromised.
Doctors say most people get HMPV before they turn five, so symptoms tend to be more severe in children as they have yet to build immunity against it.
Explaining that HMPV is a commonly circulating respiratory germ, MOH said the infection is “self-limiting”, which means it can be resolved spontaneously, with or without specific treatment.
But it warned that younger children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications.
MOH advised the public to practise good personal hygiene – such as frequent handwashing – especially when travelling overseas, to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and to properly dispose of used tissues.
Those with mild ARI symptoms should stay at home until their symptoms resolve, and if there is a need for them to go out, they should exercise social responsibility by minimising social interactions, wearing masks and avoiding crowded places.
This comes in the wake of cases of HMPV that drove spikes in respiratory illnesses in China, India and Malaysia. China is in the midst of a surge in cases of HMPV, with cases in those under 14 years old rising in late December 2024.
The upward trend was more obvious in northern provinces such as Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, which are colder than the south and where viruses tend to survive longer.
However, the World Health Organisation does not view HMPV in China as an emergency. In an e-mail to Business Insider, its spokesman said that higher levels of respiratory illnesses, including HMPV, are usually expected this time of year, adding that the rate of “influenza activity” was lower than in the same period in 2023.
India reported eight cases on Jan 6, including those of a three-month-old infant and an eight-month-old infant.
Malaysia saw 327 cases of HMPV infection in 2024 – a 45 per cent rise from 225 cases in 2023.
Professor Paul Tambyah (pic), the immediate past president of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, said there is generally no need for paying specific attention to HMPV “unless we are concerned about a hospital or nursing home outbreak”.
“For individual patients, most general practitioners are quite comfortable treating common upper respiratory infections and identifying patients at risk of complications such as bronchitis or flares of asthma or much more rarely (with HMPV) pneumonia,” he said.
Since 2007, Singapore has been testing for HMPV in specific situations from nasal, throat and nasopharyngeal swabs. They are used mainly in those who are vulnerable to rule out influenza, Covid-19 or mycoplasma, and are quite expensive.
Prof Tambyah said the recent spike is likely due to countries such as China and Malaysia stepping up their surveillance to include testing for HMPV.
“Most cases of HMPV have been historically mild, except in those with weakened immune systems, and thus, I do not think that the system will be overwhelmed as we can activate our GP clinics that are well prepared for respiratory viruses if the need arises,” he added.
As to whether there will be another pandemic, Prof Tambyah said there have been no major reports of spikes in deaths associated with HMPV infections in recent outbreaks in Asia.
“Historically, many deaths associated with HMPV have been in severely immunocompromised individuals or in combination with other more virulent viruses such as influenza,” he said, adding that there is already a vaccine that is undergoing clinical trials in many countries, including Singapore. - The Straits Times/ANN
