New Delhi: As we write this piece, India has already reported three confirmed cases of the human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, in infants. The two cases that came to the light from Bengaluru were that of a 3-month-old infant, who has been discharged and an 8-month-old baby, recovering at a hospital in the city. Apart from Karnataka, there was a confirmed report of a two-month-old infant from Ahmedabad in Gujarat, suffering from the disease. HMPV is not a novel virus that has unsuspectingly come around, it is a very common virus closely related to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) family and known to cause upper respiratory symptoms such as cough, runny nose, and sore throat. The health outcomes resemble that of a common-flu and are very seldom considered to be virulent.
India has been on the guard ever since the news of such a virus outbreak from China has made it to the frontpages. States have since issued advisories for people to stay safe and prevent themselves from virus-infections. ICMR has also amped up testing centres which would test the HMPV variant in quick time. The Centre has also issued a statement on the cases that have been officially tested and confirmed for the virus. “Both cases were identified through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens, as part of ICMR’s ongoing efforts to monitor respiratory illnesses across the country. HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory illnesses associated with HMPV have been reported in various countries,” the Centre said in a statement on the earlier Bengaluru cases. The child in Ahmedabad was kept on a ventilator, but his condition is stable now.
The important point is here that neither the infant patients nor their parents have had travel history which means their metapneumovirus infection is in-built and organic.
Infants with HMPV in India have organic infection
Paediatricians reiterate that the human metapneumovirus is a common respiratory virus that causes flu like symptoms like cough, runny nose, sore throat and chest congestion. “It have been around for a long time in India. Even in Noida, we have seen many infants who have suffered from the HMPV but recover without much ado. It is extremely communicable but the infections are mostly ingrown in newborn babies,” says Dr Deepa Rastogi, a paediatrician from Apollo Hospitals in Noida. She adds that the infection belonging to the RSA family will mostly become less aggressive as the incubation period proceeds. The usual tenacity of the virus remains within 3-6 days.
“It may behave differently in premature babies or babies born pre-term with a weakened immune response but in normal circumstances, the human metapneumovirus is not a cause for much concern to healthcare providers,” Rastogi said. Should pregnant women be worried if they get the infection? “There has been no evidence that suggests the HMPV transmits from mother to foetus,” she informs.
But if the infants or their families didn’t have travel history, how did they get infected with the virus in the first place? According to experts, the metapneumovirus, which is hugely contagious, can travel via respiratory droplets. “The virus can spread when someone who is infected coughs, sneezes, or talks, releasing respiratory droplets into the air,” explained Dr Rastogi.
Some of the infants are born with the HMPV, while others acquire it in the hospital during birth if they have come in contact with droplets of other babies who may have the infection too. Dr Rastogi says, “the infection doesn’t provide complete immunity. Re-infection is quite common, although usually less serious. Outbreaks for the HMPV are seasonal, typically occurring in winter and early spring months.”
The Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is said to be driving a surge of respiratory illnesses in the northern parts of China. On January 6, India too has reported a few confirmed cases of the virus, mostly seen in infants without any exposure to infected people. Their parents too have had no travel history which could have caused the HMPV infection in the babies. We asked a paediatrician if babies can be infected with the respiratory virus organically, the answer is a yes! Read on Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
