Several countries neighboring China have issued public health updates on human metapneumovirus (HMPV) amid a reported rise of the respiratory infection in China.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Office in China for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The reported increase in HMPV cases have sparked global concern, as recently there have been several cases reported outside of mainland China—in Hong Kong and Malaysia. Neither the Chinese government nor WHO have declared a public health emergency regarding the virus.
Five years ago, the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in China, and later impacted dozens of countries, becoming a global pandemic that has killed more than 7 million people. Several viruses, including bird flu, norovirus, and RSV, are circulating globally and in the U.S. Virus outbreaks pose public health risks by significantly impacting vulnerable populations and straining medical systems and resources.
People, some of them still wearing face masks, ride an escalator on March 1, 2023 in Hong Kong, China. People, some of them still wearing face masks, ride an escalator on March 1, 2023 in Hong Kong, China. Photo by Sawayasu Tsuji/Getty Images
What to Know
HMPV, discovered in 2001, often causes symptoms similar to the common cold, including cough, fever, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, wheezing, shortness of breath, and rashes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, the risk of severe illness is higher for people who are younger than five or older than 65, with those cases taking longer to recover from.
The virus can also cause complications like bronchiolitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma or an ear infection, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It’s fairly common in children, causing up to 12 percent of childhood respiratory illnesses. Cases are typically fairly mild. Cases are typically most common in the late winter and spring, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There is no vaccine for HMPV.
Like other similar viruses, HMPV usually spreads from person to person through droplets from coughing and sneezing, through human contact such as hugging or kissing, and through touching surfaces and objects contaminated with the virus and then the mouth, nose or eyes.
Recent news reports warn of a viral outbreak of HMPV in China, but U.S. and Chinese officials have yet to confirm this. Official reports from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that rates of multiple flu-like illnesses are on the rise in China, according to data up to the last week of 2024, and cases of HMPV infection had risen among people who are younger than 14 years old and living in northern provinces.
Several health officials from neighboring countries are issuing statements to quell concerns and note that the virus has been around in recent years and reminding residents there is always an uptick in respiratory illness during the colder seasons.
What People Are Saying
Dr. Atul Goel from the Directorate General of Health Services of India said on Friday, per India TV:
HMPV: China’s Neighbors Respond Amid Virus Outbreak
