LIVE | HMPV: Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad report cases as Bengaluru babies recover

At least six infants tested positive for the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal on Monday (January 6), the first reported cases of the virus in India since the China scare. The Union health ministry sought to assuage fears, asserting that it was well-equipped to handle any potential increase in respiratory illnesses.

HMPV is a globally-recognised respiratory virus that recently gained attention after its outbreak was reported in China. It is a viral pathogen that causes respiratory infections in people of all age groups.

Two children undergoing treatment in Chennai

Two children have tested positive for Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Chennai and are currently undergoing treatment, a health official said on Monday. These two are the first cases to be reported from the city since the China outbreak report. Officials of the state health department held a meeting to discuss the measures to be taken to screen for HMPV and the precautions to be put in place to contain its spread.

Two of the five cases were detected in Karnataka by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens.

A three-month-old female infant with a history of bronchopneumonia was diagnosed with HMPV after being admitted to Baptist Hospital in Bengaluru. She has already been discharged, the health ministry said. An eight-month-old male infant with a history of bronchopneumonia tested positive for HMPV on January 3 after being admitted to Baptist Hospital. He is now recovering, it said.

A two-month-old boy admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad also tested positive for HMPV. The infant, who hails from Dungarpur in Rajasthan, was admitted to the hospital on December 24, 2024, with symptoms of respiratory infection. Initially, the child needed ventilator support but his condition is stable now, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation medical officer Bhavin Solanki said.

While the Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra governments assured that there was no cause for alarm, the Delhi government directed all hospitals in the capital to remain fully prepared to manage a potential surge in respiratory illnesses. In West Bengal, hours after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said there were no reported cases, it was revealed that at least three cases of HMPV have been reported since November, according to an Economic Times report that quoted Sudipta Mitra, the CEO of Peerless Hospital.

No unusual surge

The Union health ministry emphasised that HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory illnesses associated with it have been reported in various countries. Furthermore, based on the current data from the ICMR and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme network, there has been no unusual surge in Influenza-Like Illness or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness cases in the country, it added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said there was no need to panic as the infections detected are of old virus strains existing in the country and they are not life-threatening.

"I don't think we should be pressing the panic button, because HMPV is not a new virus, it already exists… HMPV is an existing virus, and a certain percentage of people do get affected by this virus and it is not something new," Rao said.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel assured people that the state government is prepared to tackle the viral infection.

"As part of the precautionary measures, the health department held a meeting on January 4 and instructed every chief district health officer, civil surgeon, and superintendent of sub-district hospitals in the state to pay full attention to matters related to the infection of this virus," he said.

HMPV was first discovered in 2001 and belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family. It is closely related to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus. It spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, as well as by touching contaminated surfaces or coming into direct contact with infected individuals.

Follow this space for more updates