India reported five cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) on Monday, a respiratory virus recently identified in China and Malaysia. The cases, all in children, include two from Karnataka, two from Tamil Nadu, and one from Gujarat.

Health authorities have assured the public that hMPV is not a new virus and there is no need for panic. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee clarified that a suspected case in Kolkata was not confirmed. Union Health Ministry official J P Nadda emphasized that hMPV, first identified in 2001, has been circulating globally for years, making a pandemic unlikely.

In Karnataka, a two-month-old girl and an eight-month-old boy tested positive during routine surveillance by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The girl has been discharged, while the boy is recovering at Bengaluru Baptist Hospital and is expected to be discharged soon. In Gujarat, a two-month-old boy in Ahmedabad tested positive on December 26, though the private hospital reported it late to authorities. None of the affected families reported recent international travel.

Tamil Nadu’s cases, detected in Chennai and Guindy, involved children with cold-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and congestion. Both are recovering under observation, and the state health department is implementing measures to prevent further spread.

The virus, which spreads through droplets, direct contact, and possibly airborne particles, causes respiratory infections with symptoms resembling the common cold. The Union Health Ministry highlighted that hMPV is already circulating in India and globally, and surveillance data does not indicate an unusual rise in influenza-like or severe respiratory illnesses.

Following an increase in respiratory cases in China, the central government announced it was monitoring the situation closely. The Health Ministry convened a meeting where a joint monitoring group recommended expanding the number of ICMR laboratories testing for hMPV to track trends year-round.

States like Karnataka, Delhi, and Maharashtra have enhanced their preparedness, with advisories issued to hospitals to isolate suspected cases and document severe respiratory illnesses. The Delhi health department has mandated maintaining supplies like paracetamol, antihistamines, bronchodilators, and oxygen. Maharashtra health officials reported no unusual increase in respiratory illnesses compared to the previous year.

Experts have advised preventive measures like handwashing, masking, hydration, and saline nebulization to reduce transmission. Health officials, including Karnataka's Dinesh Gundu Rao and Director General of Health Services Atul Goel, reiterated that hMPV poses risks primarily to young children and the elderly, similar to other respiratory viruses. Sandeep Budhiraja from Max Healthcare added that such cases are typical during winter and not a cause for alarm.

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