India Reports First Case of HMPV Virus in…, case reported from…, Govt asks people to stay vigilant

The Karnataka Health Department has not given any confirmation, but Department sources informed Zee news that they will send samples to Pune for finding out which varient of virus.

Bengaluru: An 8-month-old baby in Bengaluru has been diagnosed with the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) after being admitted to a private hospital with a persistent fever. The virus was confirmed during routine blood tests. The Karnataka Health Department has not given any confirmation, but Department sources informed Zee News that they will send samples to Pune for finding out which variant of the virus.

Also, the 8-month-old child has no travel history to China.

The HMPV virus detected in India is different. However, there is no clarity on whether the virus reported in China and the strain found here are related; we need to wait for confirmation before commenting, a health source said.

India Increases Surveillance Measures:

Amid the unprecedented rise in HMPV cases in China, India has increased surveillance measures. HMPV or Human Metapneumovirus is not a new virus and has been circulating in India for the last ten years. However, amid rising cases in China which was swiftly followed by overcrowded and overwhelmed hospitals, India too decided to take cognizance of the situation.

The Indian government and health ministry have clearly stated that India has not reported any spike in cases yet and that the virus is being closely monitored. A Joint Monitoring Group was convened on Saturday to deliberate on the crisis at hand.