The entire official number of HMPV cases in India has now reached three, with two further confirmed cases reported in Karnataka earlier today.
A youngster was diagnosed with Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection at a private hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The child’s condition is stable, according to a news source citing a civic official.
The entire official number of HMPV cases in India has now reached three, with two further confirmed cases reported in Karnataka earlier today.
The HMPV made headlines this week after unsubstantiated reports of an increase in cases in China.
The diseased infant is from Dungarpur in Rajasthan and was admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad’s Chandkheda area on December 24 with respiratory infection symptoms, according to the article.
According to the news agency, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s in-charge medical officer of health Bhavin Solanki confirmed that the infant tested positive for HMPV.
Solanki informed Reuters that while the HMPV infection was identified in the patient on December 26, they only became aware of it today due to a delayed report from the private hospital.
The patient was isolated, according to the official. The boy was previously on a ventilator, but his condition has since stabilized, according to Solanki.
Karantaka’s HMPV cases.
The Indian Council of Medical Research discovered two instances of HMPV in Karnataka during routine surveillance for several respiratory viral infections, the Union Health Ministry announced on Monday.
One of the instances in Karnataka involved a three-month-old female newborn with a history of bronchopneumonia who was diagnosed with HMPV after being taken to Baptist Hospital in Bengaluru. The government stated that the infant had already been discharged.
The other case in Karnataka involves an eight-month-old male newborn with a history of bronchopneumonia, who tested positive for HMPV on January 3 after being taken to Baptist Hospital. On Monday, the ICMR said that the baby is now healing.
The government emphasized that neither of the patients had a history of overseas travel.
The health organization highlighted that HMPV is already spreading globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory infections linked to it have been documented in multiple countries.
Furthermore, according to current data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network, there has been no notable increase in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in the country, the report stated.
The ministry stated that it is monitoring the situation via all available surveillance channels. The ICMR will continue to monitor trends in HMPV circulation throughout the year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is already providing regular reports on the situation in China to help advise continuing measures.
The recent nationwide preparation drill demonstrated that India is well-equipped to deal with any potential spike in respiratory infections, and public health treatments can be deployed quickly if necessary, according to the ministry.
On Saturday, the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), chaired by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), met in response to reports of an increase in respiratory infections throughout China in recent weeks.
