On Saturday, a nine-month-old child and a 59-year-old man tested positive for human metapneumovirus (HMPV), bringing the total number of cases to five in Gujarat, according to officials.
In less than a week, the state has received reports of all five HMPV cases.
The baby boy was admitted to a private hospital in the city on January 6 due to a cold, cough, and difficulty breathing. According to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), he has no prior international or domestic travel history.
Similarly, a man from the Kutch district who was admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad was found to be infected with HMPV, the civic body reported. He also has no previous travel history, according to AMC.
On January 10, an eight-year-old boy from Sabarkantha district was confirmed to be infected with HMPV, making him the third case in the State.
Two days back, an 80-year-old man tested positive for the viral infection in Ahmedabad. The patient, who has been suffering from asthma, is currently being treated at a private hospital.
Gujarat recorded its first case of HMPV on January 6, when a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan was found to be afflicted with the viral disease, which has symptoms like fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, and cough. He was discharged after being treated at a hospital.
With two fresh infections, the state has seen five HMPV cases since January 6.
HMPV, discovered in 2001, belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family. It is closely related to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus.
The pathogen spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing as well as by touching contaminated surfaces or coming into direct contact with infected individuals.
10-month-old detected with HMPV, first case this season in Assam: Officials
A 10-month-old child has been detected with the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection, the first such case this season in Assam, officials said on Saturday.
The child is undergoing treatment at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh and is "stable" now, they said.
AMCH Superintendent Dr Dhrubajyoti Bhuyan said the child was admitted to the state-run hospital with cold-related symptoms four days ago.
“The HMPV infection was confirmed yesterday after we got test results from Lahowal-based ICMR-RMRC,” the hospital superintendent said.
According to Bhuyan, samples are routinely sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research for testing in cases of influenza and flu.
It was a routine test that revealed the HMPV infection. The child is now stable. "It is a common virus, and there is nothing to worry about," he stated.
Dr. Biswajit Borkakoty, Senior Scientist at the ICMR- Regional Medical Research Centre in NE Lahowal (Dibrugarh), stated, "We have detected 110 HMPV cases in Dibrugarh district since 2014." This is the first case of the season. Every year, it is discovered, and nothing is new. We received the sample from AMCH, and it tested positive for HMPV.
