Bengaluru: A case of Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has been detected in India, with an infant in Bengaluru testing positive for the virus, cases of which are reportedly on the rise in China.
The 8-month-old baby tested for the virus and has been admitted to the Baptist Hospital in the city with the authorities saying the baby tested positive as per a report from a private hospital but they have no reason to doubt the report.
“We haven’t conducted tests in our lab yet. However, we have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the private hospital’s results,” a Karnataka health department official said.
HMPV is known to primarily affect children and is a significant contributor to respiratory infections. Globally, about 0.7% of all flu samples are identified as HMPV. However, there is limited information about the specific strain of the virus in this case.
The health department also mentioned the need for more comprehensive data, especially regarding potential links to a variant seen in China. “We don’t yet know what strain of the virus this is because we lack comparative data on what strain is being reported in China,” the official added.
