HMPV Cases Tracker In India: Here's City Wise Total HMPV Cases Found

A six-month-old girl from Mumbai has been confirmed as the eighth case of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in India and the third in the state of Maharashtra. She was hospitalised on January 1 due to severe coughing, chest tightness, and a significant drop in her oxygen levels to 84%. She was discharged after five days of treatment. Prior to this, two cases had been detected in Nagpur, Maharashtra, involving a seven-year-old and a 13-year-old. Other reported cases have come from Karnataka (2), Gujarat (1), and Tamil Nadu (2).

Several states, including Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Bihar, have urged the public not to panic. Mizoram has formed a committee to monitor the spread of HMPV. Additionally, isolation wards have been set up in civil hospitals across three cities in Gujarat - Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, and Rajkot. In light of the surge in HMPV cases in China, the Centre has advised states to intensify surveillance for respiratory illnesses, such as ILI (Influenza-like Illness) and SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection), and to raise awareness about measures to prevent HMPV transmission.

HMPV is a well-known respiratory virus that circulates globally. It is one of many viruses that can infect people of all ages, particularly during the winter and early spring months. Most infections are mild and self-limiting, with most patients recovering without requiring extensive medical intervention.

Former WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan told NDTV that there is no correlation between HMPV and COVID-19, adding that the current data on HMPV cases is "meaningless." She further emphasized that wearing a mask would be a good practice to help prevent the spread of the virus.