HMPV Virus Update: Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which showed its outbreak in China, has started spreading in India also. The symptoms of this virus are similar to Covid-19 and its effect is visible on small children. However, health experts say that there is no need to panic about the HMPV virus. Amidst all this, a new study has come out, in which it has been told about its effect on children.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Regional Level Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (RVRDL), Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, India, and Department of Pediatrics, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India. New lineages of HMPV A2.2.1 and A2.2.2 have been found. Researchers said that the outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) was found between November 2022 and March 2023. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is known to cause acute respiratory infections in children under 5 years of age.
What did the researchers find in the study?
For the study, researchers examined nasal samples collected from January 2021 to June 2024. They examined HMPV using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Researchers found that most of the cases occurred between December and January. HMPV is a respiratory virus classified into two main genetic groups: A and B. It has A1, A2, B1 and B2 subgroups.
Group A strains (A1, A2a, A2b) are often associated with outbreaks in young children and the elderly. Group B strains (B1, B2) are also prevalent, but there may be slight differences in virulence and geographic distribution. Both groups mutate over time, which complicates vaccine and antiviral development. Because of this, constant monitoring becomes necessary.
What was the result of the study?
The hMPV virus was most prevalent in children under 1 year of age, with 67 percent of children having wheezing and 6.9 percent having seizures. A massive outbreak of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) was detected between November 2022 and March 2023. There was a 9.6% positivity rate among the patients tested. It was at its peak in December and January and this matches the studies.
Also read: China’s dangerous HMPV had come to India in 2024, not 2025, it is difficult to believe the figures.
