New Delhi: The Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) which is driving the outbreak in China at present is also making its presence felt in India, Indonesia and Hong Kong with stray cases being reported from these countries. The virus has been around for two decades, first found in the Netherlands in 2001, and has been known to affect infants under the age of five. The Indian health ministry has also stated that the virus is not a new strain of something unknown. There have been previous cases of the metapneumovirus recorded in India and elsewhere. In fact the HMPV was also responsible for a surge in the US in 2023 but that did not cause a global panic.
The symptoms of the virus (which first attacks the upper respiratory system) is quite similar to the common cold and hence may not be very easy for experts to diagnose in plain sight. However, there are some tests that are advised which will help diagnose the presence of the virus in the human body.
Tests for HMPV
A government approved list of tests is not doing the rounds as of now. But scientists are of the opinion that the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosing most respiratory viruses that fall in the RSA genus, including the HMPV, is the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests. This will detect the virus’s RNA and the results are known to be quite effective.
The other tests recommended for the metapneumovirus are those which are ‘antigen detection-based’. These tests offer quicker results, providing a faster but less specific alternative for diagnosis.
In India, surveillance programs like the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) play a crucial role in monitoring respiratory viruses, including HMPV. These programs routinely test for various respiratory pathogens, helping track and control the spread of respiratory illnesses across the country.
Can I test for it privately?
Allaying fears of the spread of this virus and going by the non-virulent nature of it, doctors have advised patients to not panic and look for treating these symptoms at home. “Most of the respiratory viruses that are around in India and elsewhere in the globe are winter occurrences and may not need a very strict diagnosis. Although the ministry would want to test the HMPV strain to notice pathogen behaviour, testing every single case for HMPV is not required,” says Dr Shishir Jha, from Apollo Hospitals in Noida.
According to Jha only cases that present itself with advanced symptoms, including difficulty in breathing or acute shortness of breath need to go in for tests that determine HMPV.
Regular testing RT-PCR kits for home diagnosis is not advised or made a mandate still. Experts say HMPV symptoms can be treated at home with same care as one would take during influenza or a bout of common cold.
The larger picture: HMPV should be added to routine diagnostics
While Chinese authorities have claimed that they are increasing surveillance for all respiratory viruses in the country, other countries are also busy setting up monitoring units. India’s ICMR is also engaged in setting up labs that would not just test for HMPV but also look for other strains belonging to the same virus family or nearer to it. Doctors like Jha insist that respiratory diagnostics in India need to be more organised and should include newer variants of SARS CoV-2 as well as the HMPV kinds in the regular tests too.
“Our routine diagnostics don’t have the provision to account for most of the respiratory viruses that are considered seasonal. It’s time that scientists come up with a single diagnostic test that will allow all newer strains of viruses to be diagnosed in a single test. That will address some of our anxiety when it comes to newer strains and make us better prepared to deal with the strain of virus that is causing the outbreak,” Jha added.
Maybe a single RT-PCR test should be recommended for all flu- cases that would determine not only the regular influenza variants but also other newer forms of virus that are around.
India has reported seven confirmed cases of the HMPV or human metapneumovirus as of today. The patients have mostly recovered with simple medication and without having to endure prolonged hospitalisation. While ICMR has notified that testing for the HMPV will be amped with multiple laboratories being set up across the city, healthcare providers are of the opinion that a simple RT-PCR can also effectively detect the virus. Here’s a look at the options available Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
