India registers 3 cases of HMPV, Health Ministry confident about ICMR’s robust surveillance system

New Delhi: The ghost of Covid-19 is back and the people aren’t really amused! As the scare about freshly minted virus from China, Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is spreading like a forest fire, India too has registered three cases, two in Karnataka and one in Gujarat.

The three cases were identified through routine surveillance of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for multiple respiratory viral pathogens, as part of ICMR’s ongoing efforts to monitor respiratory illnesses across the country.

As per the Union Health Ministry, HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory illnesses associated with HMPV have been reported in various countries. Furthermore, based on current data from ICMR and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network, there has been no unusual surge in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in the country.

A 3-month-old female infant, who was diagnosed with HMPV after being admitted to Baptist Hospital, Bengaluru with a history of bronchopneumonia. She has been since discharged.

In another case, an 8-month-old male infant, who tested positive for HMPV on January 3, 2025, after being admitted to Baptist Hospital, Bengaluru, with a history of bronchopneumonia. The infant is now recovering.

It is important to note that neither of the affected patients have any history of international travel.

Meanwhile the Union Health Ministry is monitoring the situation through all available surveillance channels. ICMR will continue to track trends in HMPV circulation throughout the year. The World Health Organization (WHO) is already providing timely updates regarding the situation in China to further inform ongoing measures.

Former Director General of ICMR and Former Chief Scientist at WHO, Dr Soumya Swaminathan in a tweet asked people not to panic about the virus. “There is nothing to panic about. It’s a known virus that causes respiratory infections, mostly mild.”

Dr Soumya who is currently the Chairperson of Dr MS Swaminathan Foundation added, “Rather than jump at detection of every pathogen, we should all take normal precautions when we have a cold: wear a mask, wash hands, avoid crowds, consult Dr if severe symptoms.”

Dr Sachin Kumar, Senior Consultant – Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru said, “HMPV is commonly observed in clinical practice in both India and China. First discovered in 2001, it became widely recognized by 2016 as a significant cause of respiratory issues in children, second only to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). HMPV primarily affects the upper respiratory tract in children. The virus is often compared to COVID-19 due to similarities in symptoms, although it is genetically distinct. Symptoms of HMPV include fever, cough, and cold, and in some cases, it can lead to pneumonia. The virus spreads quickly, with certain groups being particularly vulnerable, including children under 5 years, elderly individuals over 65 years, and patients with conditions such as COPD, bronchitis, asthma, or weakened immunity (e.g., due to chemotherapy or diabetes).”

Dr Kumar added further, “”HMPV is typically self-limiting, with symptoms lasting 3-6 days, often followed by a lingering cough, cold, and a runny nose. While the majority of cases (85-90%) recover at home, 5-10% may require hospitalization, and severe cases resulting in fatality occur in less than 5% of patients. Comorbidities can increase the risk of severe outcomes, with 10-15% of lower respiratory tract infections leading to complications like severe pneumonia.”

“There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine available for HMPV. Prevention measures similar to those for COVID-19 are recommended, such as proper masking, consulting a physician when symptoms appear, and self-isolating if symptomatic,” concluded Dr Kumar.

Health Ministry holds review

Earlier in view of the rising cases of respiratory illnesses in China in the past few weeks, a Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting was held under the Chairmanship of DGHS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on January 04, 2025. Experts from the World Health organization (WHO), the Disaster Management (DM) Cell, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) Division, and hospitals, including AIIMS, Delhi participated in the meeting.

After detailed discussions, it was agreed upon that the situation in China is not unusual in view of the ongoing flu season. The cause of the present surge was reportedly attributed to the Influenza virus, RSV and HMPV – the usual pathogens that are expected during the season.

The government is keeping a close watch over the situation through all available channels and WHO has also been requested to share timely updates regarding the situation in China. These viruses are already in circulation globally including India.

A robust surveillance system for Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) for Influenza is already in place in India through both ICMR and IDSP networks and the data from both indicates no unusual surge in ILI & SARI cases.

ICMR network also tests for other respiratory viruses such as Adenovirus, RSV, HMPV etc. and these pathogens also do not show an unusual increase in the tested samples. As a precautionary measure, the number of laboratories testing for HMPV will be enhanced by ICMR, and ICMR will be monitoring trends of HMPV for the entire year.