Ahmedabad: India has reported its third case of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), with a two-month-old baby from Rajasthan testing positive in the Chandkheda area of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The baby, who showed symptoms of cold and cough, was admitted to a private hospital, and is currently stable, according to reports from IANS.
Earlier this week, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) detected the first two cases of HMPV in India, both from Karnataka. The two infants, aged three months and eight months, were hospitalized in Bengaluru after showing symptoms linked to the virus. The three-month-old female infant has already been discharged, while the eight-month-old male infant remains under treatment and is recovering from the illness.
HMPV is already in circulation globally, and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has assured the public that there has been no unusual surge in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases across the country. The ministry emphasized that cases of respiratory illnesses related to HMPV have been reported in various nations, and the virus is not causing a significant uptick in severe cases in India.
The recent detections have raised concerns, but health authorities are monitoring the situation closely, stating that there is currently no cause for alarm. “Based on current data from ICMR and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network, there has been no unusual surge in ILI or SARI cases in the country,” the ministry stated in a press release.
