Bengaluru: An eight-month-old infant has emerged as Bengaluru’s first suspected case of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV).
The sample, collected on January 2 by a private testing facility, has raised concerns among health authorities, although the family has no recent travel history or symptoms suggesting severe illness.
Karnataka health officials have acknowledged the credibility of the testing facility but have yet to confirm details about the specific strain.
Human Metapneumovirus, which contributes to approximately 0.7% of global flu cases, primarily affects children and spreads through close contact, respiratory droplets, or contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and, in some cases, wheezing or shortness of breath.
The virus, discovered in 2001 in the Netherlands, is significant in respiratory infections and is most common during the winter and spring seasons.
While reports of an HMPV surge in China have heightened global vigilance, Indian health authorities have assured the public that there is no cause for alarm.
