By Seyi Babalola
The human metapneumovirus (HMPV) epidemic in parts of China has sparked international concern.
HMPV was discovered by a Dutch research group in 2001, but it was most likely present in humans for many years before that.
The latest outbreak comes after China’s National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention announced that it was testing a new reporting methodology in response to pneumonia cases.
The present HMPV epidemic in China is a fresh outbreak of a recognized and well-understood virus that has most likely circulated among humans for hundreds of years.
However, HMPV is not the same as COVID-19, according to public health experts, who point out that the virus has been there for decades and that nearly every child is infected by age five.
However, in certain extremely young infants and persons with compromised immune systems, it can cause more severe sickness. Here is what you should know:
1. For the majority of patients, HMPV causes a moderate upper respiratory tract infection that is nearly identical to the flu.
2. The virus, which was first detected in the Netherlands in 2001, spreads through direct contact between individuals or when someone touches infected objects.
3. The most common symptoms are cough, fever, and nasal congestion. Like other respiratory illnesses, HMPV is contagious. Transmission occurs through exposure to airborne droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes, as well as contact with contaminated surfaces, including physical contact with hands or skin.
4. HMPV, like RSV, is a seasonal virus that arises throughout the winter months and has the potential to spread epidemically if a high rate of infection occurs at a certain period.
5. The extremely young, particularly children under two, are most vulnerable to the virus, as are individuals with compromised immune systems, including the elderly and those with advanced cancer.
Is there a treatment or vaccine for HMPV?
Currently, there is no therapy or vaccination for HMPV.
Preventive strategies include practising excellent hygiene, avoiding exposure to infected people (and, for infected people, remaining at home to prevent transmission), and wearing masks.