New Delhi: A joint monitoring group has said that the situation in China, where there has been a surge in cases of the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), is not unexpected given the ongoing flu season. The meeting, chaired by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in Delhi, was held today, as per a government statement.
Experts from several organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Disaster Management Cell, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), National Centre for Disease Control, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Emergency Medical Relief Division and hospitals like AIIMS-Delhi, participated in the discussion.
China’s flu surge triggers WHO monitoring
The group concluded that the current surge in China is primarily due to the influenza virus, RSV and HMPV—common pathogens associated with the flu season. The government said that they are closely monitoring the situation through all available channels and have requested WHO to provide timely updates on the situation in China.
In India, the government said that a robust surveillance system is already in place to track influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illnesses (SARI), through the ICMR and IDSP networks. According to the data, there has been no unusual increase in ILI and SARI cases in the country. Physicians across hospitals have reported no huge rise in respiratory illnesses over the last few weeks, beyond the usual seasonal fluctuations.
ICMR expands HMPV testing
The ICMR network continues to test for other respiratory viruses like adenovirus, RSV, and HMPV, with no abnormal increase in these pathogens observed in recent samples. As a precaution, the ICMR will expand the number of laboratories testing for HMPV and will monitor trends related to this virus throughout the year. Furthermore, recent preparedness drills conducted across the country indicate that India is well-equipped to manage any potential rise in respiratory illnesses.
