HMPV cases in northern China declining, says country's health official

The human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild cold-like symptoms.

Amid global concerns, China on Sunday said that the cases of infections with the flu-like human metapneumovirus (HMPV) are declining.

Wang Liping, second left, a researcher for the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention speaks during a press briefing in Beijing, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)

Wang Liping, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasised that HMPV is not a new virus and has been with humans for at least several decades, reported the Associated Press.

Wang added that the increase in recent years in the number of cases of the virus, 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.

Gao Xinqiang, deputy director of the Department of Medical Emergency Response of the Health Commission, said that the number of patients in fever clinics and emergency departments across the country has been rising but is still generally lower compared to the same period last year, according to the Associated Press.

“There is no obvious shortage of medical resources,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency.

The human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild cold-like symptoms. Studies show it has circulated in human populations since the 1970s, though it was first identified by scientists in 2001.

The virus accounts for 4-16% of acute respiratory infections globally, with cases usually peaking between November and May. While most adults have developed immunity through previous exposure, hMPV can cause more severe symptoms in infants encountering it for the first time and in people with weakened immune systems.

Concerns surfaced in recent days over a surge in HMPV infections in northern China after unverified images circulated online of hospitals overrun with masked patients.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it has not received reports of unusual outbreaks in China or elsewhere.

Experts say that, unlike coronavirus, HMPV has been around for decades, and many have built-in immunity to it. Most children are infected with the virus by the age of 5. There are no vaccines or drugs available for HMPV.