HMPV not new virus in India: Health Ministry says as cases detected
The HinduThe Human Metapneumovirus is already in circulation globally, including in India, said the Health Ministry on Monday while stating that none of the cases in India have any travel history and that all the infected persons are recovering well. The Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in a video statement said, “Health experts have clarified that the HMPV is not a new virus. The health systems and surveillance networks of the country are vigilant and there is no reason to worry.” Editorial | Nothing alarming: on China’s HMPV cases He added that agencies in India are keeping a close watch on the situation in China as well as in the neighbouring countries while the World Health Organization has taken cognisance of the situation. The two cases from Karnataka were identified through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens, as part of ICMR’s ongoing efforts to monitor respiratory illnesses across the country. Also a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district, was detected with HMPV infection at a private hospital in Ahmedabad, was born through premature delivery, said principal secretary Gayatri Rathore in Jaipur on Monday.