The Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is already in circulation worldwide, including in India, according to the Health Ministry on Monday (January 6, 2025), adding that none of the cases in India had any travel history and that all affected individuals are healing well.
“The virus occurrence in India is not new,’’ emphasised the Ministry. In a video statement, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said, “Health experts have clarified that the HMPV is not a new virus. It was first identified in 2001 and it has been circulating in the entire world for many years. HMPV spreads through the air, by way of respiration. This can affect persons of all age groups. The country’s health systems and surveillance networks are vigilant and there is no reason to worry.”
He added that Indian agencies are closely monitoring the situation in China and neighbouring countries and that the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken note of it.
The Ministry also stated that current data from the India Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network showed no exceptional increase in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in the country.
Soumya Swaminathan, former head scientist at WHO, said in a social media post on Monday that HMPV is nothing to be concerned about. “It’s a well-known virus that causes very minor respiratory illnesses. Rather than jumping to the identification of every infection, we should all take standard measures when we have a cold: wear a mask, wash our hands, avoid crowds, and see a doctor if we have severe symptoms,” she added.
Neeraj Nischal, Additional Professor of Internal Medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Science in Delhi, added that we cannot compare HMPV to the coronavirus because COVID-19 was completely new and we had no immunity to it.
“HMPV has been described since 2001, and even based on evidence, it dates back to the late 1950s. By the age of 10, the majority of the children develop immunity against this,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, HMPV cases have been verified in two newborns from Karnataka (no travel history) and Gujarat. The two instances in Karnataka were discovered through routine surveillance for several respiratory virus infections, as part of the ICMR’s continuous efforts to monitor respiratory disorders throughout the country.
A two-month-old kid from Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district, who was diagnosed with HMPV at a private hospital in Ahmedabad, was born prematurely, according to principal secretary (Medical & Health) Gayatri Rathore in Jaipur on Monday.
The health departments of Delhi, Karnataka, and Maharashtra have now published a warning outlining dos and don’ts to combat the virus’s potential spread. The Central Government has also stated that it is monitoring the issue through all available surveillance channels, while the ICMR will continue to follow trends in HMPV circulation throughout the year. The WHO is already giving periodic information on the situation in China to help guide continuing initiatives.
