'Rate Of Positive Cases In Northern Provinces Declining': Chinese Health Official On HMPV Cases

Wang Liping said respiratory diseases currently affecting people in China are caused by known pathogens and no new infectious diseases have emerged.

Chinese official said that the recent increase in the number of HMPV cases is due to better detection methods.

Source : PTI

Amid the growing concern over a possible outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases, Chinese health officials have said that the rate of infections in China is declining in the country.

HMPV, which belongs to the same family as the respiratory syncytial virus, causes flu or cold-like symptoms including fever, cough and nasal congestion. 

"The human metapneumovirus is not a new virus, and has been with humans for at least several decades," Wang Liping, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press briefing, according to The Associated Press.

The recent surge in cases of respiratory disease caused by HMPV in China had triggered public concern, around five years after the Covid-19 pandemic. 

However, Wang said that the recent increase in the number of HMPV cases, first detected in the Netherlands in 2001, is due to better detection methods.

"At present, the rate of positive cases in human metapneumovirus detection is fluctuating, and the rate of positive cases in northern provinces is declining, and the rate of positive cases among patients aged 14 and below has started to decline," she said.

The concerns over HMPV infections mounted globally after images circulated online purportedly showed hospitals overrun with masked patients. The World Health Organization said it has not received reports of unusual outbreaks in China or elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Wang Liping said respiratory diseases currently affecting people in China are caused by known pathogens and no new infectious diseases have emerged.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has assured that HMPV has been in circulation globally, including in India, and there is no significant rise in influenza-like illness (ILI) or severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) cases.

The government has also expressed confidence in the country's preparedness to manage any potential increase in respiratory illnesses.