HMPV virus – latest: EU monitoring cases amid soaring infections across China

China’s state-run newspaper The Global Times has accused Western media of “exaggerating” reports of a surge in HMPV infections in China.

The outlet said that foreign media claimed that HMPV infections have overwhelmed hospitals in China and drew comparisons to Covid-19.

In response, Chinese authorities have said that they remain transparent in reporting infectious diseases. The World Health Organisation has said that it is in contact with Chinese health officials and has received no reports of unusual HMPV outbreak patterns.

“Over the past two years, awareness of HMPV infections in China has grown despite the virus being first identified more than 20 years ago, and has been circulating among people for as long as 60 years. The increase of awareness is primarily due to the improvement in our country’s respiratory pathogen detection capabilities and the increased public attention toward respiratory infectious diseases,” Li Tongzeng, the chief physician of the infection department at Beijing You’an Hospital, told The Global Times.

Experts say that HMPV poses the greatest risk to the elderly, very young children, and immunocompromised individuals, potentially causing severe illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia.

Prof Paul Griffin, director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane, told The Guardian that “it certainly can and does cause severe disease, that’s why I think it’s important that people know it’s out there”.

He said: “The challenge is at the moment there’s not much we can do except educate people [that] it’s around to reduce transmission. There’s no vaccine or antivirals, although there are some vaccines in development.”

Chinese hospitals are currently treating more cases of influenza than human metapneumovirus (HMPV) this winter, the South China Morning Post reported.

Doctors and officials in China report that while HMPV cases have risen slightly, influenza remains the dominant respiratory illness, with no evidence of an unusual outbreak of HMPV.

Kan Biao, an official from China’s CDC, said at a 27 December press conference that HMPV cases among individuals under 14 were on the rise, particularly in northern provinces. He said that while China is likely to experience various respiratory infections during winter and spring, the total number of cases this year is expected to be lower than last year.

The European Union is monitoring cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) amid an outbreak of the disease in China.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said cases across Europe was not unusual for this time of year, but would continue to assess the situation.

“Based on the current information, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) considers that the current epidemiological situation in China reflects a seasonal rise in respiratory infections caused by common respiratory pathogens and does not pose any specific concern for the EU/EEA,” it said.

“ECDC continues to monitor the situation in collaboration with the Chinese CDC and WHO/EURO to gather additional information.”

People with HMPV have been advised by the UK Health Security Agency to limit contact with others and to wear a mask.

Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “HMPV is a common respiratory infection in winter, and we typically see activity reaching a peak at this time of year.

“Infections are usually mild, causing symptoms of a common cold. Our surveillance systems in GP surgeries and hospitals indicate that levels are in line with what we would expect to see. Most people have had hMPV by the time they are five years old and catch it again throughout their lives.

“As with all respiratory viruses, you can help reduce infections being passed on through regular handwashing and catching coughs and sneezes in tissues and throwing them away.

“If you have symptoms such as a high temperature, cough and feeling tired and achy, try to limit your contact with others, especially those who are vulnerable.

“There are many viruses in circulation at the moment, including flu - if you have symptoms of a respiratory illness and you need to go out, our advice continues to be that you should consider wearing a face mask.”

China is experiencing a surge in infections of a respiratory virus, leading to reports of overcrowded hospitals, new monitoring measures and public concerns about an outbreak.

The virus, identified as human metapneumovirus (HMPV), has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children.

The outbreak comes five years after the world was first alerted to the emergence of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, which later turned into a global pandemic with seven million deaths reported.

Photos and videos of people wearing masks in hospitals in China emerged on social media platforms and local reports compared the scenes to the initial outbreak of Covid.

Health authorities are implementing new measures to monitor and manage the spread of pneumonia cases of unknown origin. Nonetheless, Beijing has downplayed the developments as an annual winter occurrence.

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Experts say that HMPV poses the greatest risk to the elderly, very young children, and immunocompromised individuals, potentially causing severe illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia.

Prof Paul Griffin, director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane, told The Guardian that “it certainly can and does cause severe disease, that’s why I think it’s important that people know it’s out there”.

He said: “The challenge is at the moment there’s not much we can do except educate people [that] it’s around to reduce transmission. There’s no vaccine or antivirals, although there are some vaccines in development.”