(Image source from: Timesnownews.com)
An eight-month-old baby was reportedly infected with Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Bangalore. This is the first case in India while similar cases are rapidly increasing in China. According to News18, this child has no travel history. This has been approved by the Karnataka State Health Department. The case was reportedly reported to the Federal Ministry of Health. According to News 18, it is not clear whether it is the same type of HMPV that caused the surge in China. The Union Health Ministry had earlier said that India was well prepared to deal with the respiratory disease and surveillance mechanisms showed no unusual spike in cases. The ministry held a joint meeting with its monitoring group on Saturday to review reports of a surge in respiratory disease cases in China in recent weeks. The report said the situation was being closely monitored through all available channels and called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide timely updates on the situation.
“We will continue to closely monitor the situation and review information and developments accordingly,” a senior health ministry official said. According to a press release that discussed the key points of the meeting, the situation in China was not "abnormal" given the circumstances. “This report also indicates that the current influenza epidemic is caused by influenza viruses RSV and HMPV, which are common pathogens this season,” the report said. . According to a report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children, the elderly (and the elderly), and people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to metapneumovirus. HMPV can cause respiratory illnesses and is easily transmitted from person to person or from contaminated surfaces, although it was discovered in 2001 (it is now considered a serious infectious disease, according to the CDC). It can cause upper and lower respiratory tract infections. Symptoms include cough, fever, nasal congestion and shortness of breath.
The Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr. Atul Goel, told News18 that human metapneumovirus is similar to other respiratory viruses that cause colds and can cause flu-like symptoms in young and old people. He urged people to observe general precautions to prevent respiratory infections. This means that if you have cough or cold symptoms, you should avoid contact with others to prevent the infection from spreading. He said: People should observe respiratory etiquette and take medicine regularly for cold or fever.
