Kochi: Three cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) have been detected in infants in the country, even as the Centre has said there is no need for panic.
Two cases were found in Bengaluru in Karnataka, while the third one in Gujarat where the infant came from Rajasthan.
One was detected in a three-month-old baby girl in a hospital in Bengaluru. The infant, who had a history of bronchopneumonia, has since been discharged.
The second case was detected in an eight-month-old baby boy who tested positive for HMPV on January 3 at the same hospital. The infant is now recovering.
The third case was reported in Ahmedabad in Gujarat on a two month old boy from Dungarpur in Rajasthan.
“HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India, and cases of respiratory illnesses associated with HMPV have been reported in various countries. Speaking to reporters,” the reports quoted Rao.
According to the minister, the outbreak in China was from a new variant of HMPV about which full details are not yet available.
The state government is discussing with ICMR and the centre over the matter, he said.
The Union Ministry of Health said that “HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India” and there has been no unusual surge in respiratory illnesses in the country.
Notably, none of the cases had any history of international travel indicating the infections were locally acquired and unrelated to the surge in China.
3 HMPV cases in India
