No cause for alarm: Indian health officials on hMPV spread in China
As India marks the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2025, another flu-like illness has emerged, though the government insists there is no reason to panic.
Addressing concerns about the outbreak of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in China, the Indian authorities, on Friday, said that the situation is under control, and that the health ministry is actively monitoring the spread of respiratory illnesses within the country, alongside seasonal influenza trends.
China has reported a spike in hMPV cases, particularly among children and the elderly, over the past few weeks. The outbreak has prompted comparisons to the early days of Covid-19, with reports of overwhelmed hospitals and crematoria raising global concerns.
HMPV is similar to other respiratory viruses, causing flu-like symptoms predominantly in the very young and the elderly, explained Dr Atul Goel, director general of Health Services (DGHS). He noted: “There was no significant increase in respiratory illness cases reported at our centres this December.”
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has intensified its monitoring of respiratory illnesses, official sources told ANI. Dr Sourabh Pahuja, senior consultant in pulmonary medicine at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, emphasised that hMPV is not new to India and the virus has been present in the country for years, primarily affecting older children aged 10 to 14 years.