India Reports Second HMPV Infection, First in Elderly Man

India’s Gujarat State reported another case of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection on Thursday at Ahmedabad city, the first time the virus has appeared in an elderly person in India, according to Indian news outlet LiveMint.
An 80-year-old man who tested positive for HMPV is currently receiving treatment in a private hospital, according to a statement issued by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The patient had no recent travel history abroad and is reported to be in stable condition.
The elderly man was hospitalized on Wednesday, January 8, after presenting symptoms consistent with HMPV infection. Medical tests confirmed the diagnosis, making this the second reported case of HMPV in Gujarat since the virus was first detected in India.
The first case, reported on January 6, involved a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan who was treated and later discharged.
On Wednesday, doctors identified a suspected case of HMPV in an eight-year-old boy in Himmatnagar town, Sabarkantha district. He is currently on a ventilator in the ICU of a private hospital, a sample a his blood has been sent to a government hospital for further testing.
Discovered in 2001, HMPV belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family and is transmitted via respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, contact with contaminated surfaces, or direct interaction with infected individuals.
As HMPV continues to cause significant concern in China and other countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement on Wednesday saying that “Human metapneumovirus, HMPV, is not a new virus.”
It typically spreads during winter and spring, according to Margaret Harris of the WHO. “It is a common virus that circulates during these seasons and generally causes respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold,” the statement concluded.
Indian health authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and take preventive measures to contain the spread of the virus.