The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring reports of a spike in human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China.
HMPV, discovered in 2001, is common but underdiagnosed because of its resemblance to the common cold, according to the CDC.
Cases of the virus in the United States are at “pre-epidemic” levels and are not “cause for concern” yet, but there is a large spike in northern China, especially among children 14 and under, according to media reports. in Beijing.
Chinese government officials said the reported outbreak is consistent with seasonal illness and appears to be worse than other years.
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The CDC says cases of the virus are at “pre-pandemic” levels in the US and “not a cause for concern at this time.” (CDC)
“Respiratory diseases tend to increase during the winter,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.
Dr. Eileen Schneider, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases, said HMPV is “associated with approximately 20,000 hospitalizations among children under the age of 5.”
This virus may be a cause of concern for “elderly adults and immunocompromised patients.”
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HMPV has symptoms similar to the flu and other respiratory viruses. (Stock)
Schneider said the presentation of HMPV is usually mild and can include respiratory symptoms such as cough, fever and nasal congestion.
“Symptoms are often clinically indistinguishable from infections with other common respiratory viruses, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus,” she said.
An art teacher paints a poster to raise awareness about the spread of the HMPV virus in Mumbai, India, on Jan. 6, 2025. (Indranil Aditya/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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There is no vaccine or cure for the virus at this time, the CDC says, but the infection usually improves with rest, drinking fluids and over-the-counter medications.
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