Soumya Swaminathan: Nothing to panic about HMPV, don't jump at detection of every pathogen

Dr Soumya Swaminathan is the World Health Organisation`s former chief scientist. Photo Courtesy: Official Twitter account of Soumya Swaminathan

There is nothing to worry about the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), said the World Health Organisation's former chief scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan on Monday, even as two more cases have been detected in the country, taking the tally to 5.

She noted that the virus is not new and causes only mild infections.

"#HMPvirus is nothing to panic about. It's a known virus that causes respiratory infections, mostly mild," Swaminathan said in a post on social media platform X.

Warning people to not jump at the detection of every pathogen, she listed out precautionary measures like washing hands.

"Rather than jump at detection of every pathogen, we should all take normal precautions when we have a cold: wear a mask, wash hands, avoid crowds, consult a doctor in case of severe symptoms," the noted scientist said.

She noted that as per ICMR, HMPV accounts for about 3 per cent of respiratory pathogens detected in the laboratory network, testing influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) cases.

Influenza A & B, SARSCoV2 and RSV are other circulating viruses, she said, adding "no deaths reported in India so far".

The expert's assurance comes even as five children tested positive for the virus in Karnataka (2), Gujarat (1), and Tamil Nadu (2) on Monday.

All the affected children are recovering well, while one has been discharged, the health authorities said.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, addressing the media, said that the government is "closely monitoring the situation in China as well as in the neighbouring countries".

He assured that "there is no reason to worry".

HMPV was first discovered in 2001 and is part of the Pneumoviridae family along with the RSV. The symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath.

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