A recent uptick in flu-like illnesses in China has officials on high alert, but they have yet to confirm a new outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). According to data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of multiple flu-like illnesses are increasing, with influenza leading the pack.
The data shows that 30.2% of tests came back positive for influenza, an increase of 6.2% from the previous week, and 17.7% of people hospitalized with a severe respiratory illness tested positive for it. HMPV, however, is behind other flu-like diseases like COVID-19, rhinovirus, and adenovirus, accounting for 6.2% of positive respiratory illness tests and 5.4% of respiratory-illness hospitalizations.
HMPV is a virus that can cause flu-like illnesses in people of all ages, particularly those with weakened immune systems, such as young children, older adults, and the elderly. The virus was first discovered in 2001 and is part of the same family as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
HMPV spreads through droplets from coughing and sneezing, human contact, and touching contaminated surfaces. In the US, it circulates seasonally alongside the flu and similar diseases, with the most activity in late winter and spring.
The CDC recommends several ways Americans can protect themselves: washing hands often, avoiding close contact with sick people, covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, and staying home to recover.
Symptoms of HMPV include coughing, fever, and a stuffy or runny nose, which can progress to bronchitis or pneumonia in severe cases. There is no specific treatment available for HMPV, but people with the virus are advised to treat it like the flu and stay home until the body fights off infection.
While there is currently not enough information on the extent of a possible outbreak in China, HMPV already circulates among populations worldwide, so there is more herd immunity against it than a novel virus.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/human-metapneumovirus-hmpv-china-outbreak-explainer-2009126