2 HMPV cases reported in Tamil Nadu, overall count reaches 5
Five cases of respiratory distress-causing HMPV – two in Bengaluru, one in Ahmedabad and two in Tamil Nadu – have been detected amid fears of the virus’s spread, as China also recorded a surge in infections.
Following the two cases in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government issued an advisory, urging citizens to avoid going to public places if they’re symptomatic and to wear masks in crowded areas to reduce the risk of transmission.
In Bengaluru, an eight-month-old boy and a three-month-old girl tested positive for the virus and did not have any history of international travel, authorities said.
In Ahmedabad, HMPV was found in a two-month-old child, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital and is stable. The infant’s family, who belong to Rajasthan’s Dungarpur, reached Ahmedabad for treatment.
One HMPV case has been reported from Chennai while the other has been reported from Salem. The Tamil Nadu health department said that the individuals were stable and were being monitored.
The cases come amid reports of a rise in viral infections in China that have been linked to the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory pathogen that was first detected in 2001.
The Indian government, while urging people not to panic, has previously said that HMPV is not a new virus and has been in circulation globally and within the country.
The government said that a case of HMPV was detected in a six-month-old baby in Kolkata in November, highlighting that the virus has been in circulation for a while now.