HMPV: Two infants in Bengaluru test positive; Karnataka Health Minister discusses the potential of new strain.

The 8-month-old showed minimal symptoms, but the 3-month-old, who had bronchopneumonia, recovered.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed two instances of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka that were discovered during routine surveillance for respiratory viral infections.

The ICMR identified these two cases as part of its continuous efforts to track respiratory infections across the country. One case includes an eight-month-old male newborn from Bengaluru, whose sample obtained on January 2 tested positive for HMPV. According to sources at the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) health department, the infant and their family had no recent travel history and no symptoms of concern.

The second case concerns a three-month-old female newborn with a history of bronchopneumonia who tested positive for HMPV after being referred to Baptist Hospital in Bengaluru. The Union Health Ministry reported that she has since been discharged and is recovering.

HMPV mostly affects children and is estimated to be present in approximately 0.7% of flu cases worldwide. However, Karnataka health officials have claimed that they lack detailed information about the strain in question.

Responding to the revelations, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated on Monday, “This is not India’s first example. The virus has existed for many years, but this could be a new variant. More information is required to ascertain that.”

What is HMPV?

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) has lately received attention as a result of videos and stories spreading on social media, indicating that hospitals in China are overwhelmed by a surge in respiratory infections, including HMPV. Posts also suggest that epidemics of other diseases, such as HMPV, influenza A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19, have contributed to congestion in hospitals and graves.

HMPV, which was discovered in 2001 by researchers in the Netherlands, is a major source of acute respiratory infections, according to the American Lung Association. The virus is primarily transmitted by close contact with infected people, either through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, or by touching contaminated surfaces like doorknobs or toys.

In the United States, HMPV is more common in the winter and spring, overlapping with other respiratory diseases such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and the flu.

The symptoms of HMPV.

HMPV symptoms can range in severity, but the most frequent are cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, and sore throat. Some people may have wheezing and shortness of breath (dyspnea). An infection can sometimes lead to the development of a rash.

Search data from Google Trends revealed a surge in interest for ‘HMPV virus symptoms’ on Sunday, reaching its peak on Monday. Associated queries included terms like ‘fatigue,’ ‘meaning of fatigue,’ ‘HPV virus cases in India updates,’ ‘nasal congestion,’ and ‘HMPV virus in Bangalore.’ The majority of these searches originated from Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. This spike aligned with news reports on Monday confirming two HMPV cases in Karnataka.