Over the last few weeks, the Human Metapneumovirus or HMPV has emerged as a significant public health issue. The flu-like viral illness escalated in China in recent months, predominantly affecting children and eliciting fears about its possible spread.
Cases were also documented in India and the UK during seasonal winter patterns characterized by increased respiratory infections that produce flu or cold-like symptoms. India has documented at least seven verified instances of HMPV in multiple states, including Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
The memory of Covid-19, with people confined to their homes and unable to access proper medical care, is still fresh. To avoid such a health crisis, people must be well-informed about the nature of viral epidemics and ensure their health and well-being.
Despite being discovered over 20 years ago, HMPV remains less widely recognized compared to other, more severe viruses within the same family. Other members of this family include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and measles.
HMPV is a single-stranded RNA virus first found by Dutch scientists in 2001. Since then, studies have shown that people have been affected by the virus for decades, if not longer, before it was officially named.
HMPV mainly affects the respiratory system and can cause a wide range of illnesses, from mild cold-like symptoms to severe respiratory infections. Anyone can get HMPV, but babies, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are most likely to get sick from it.
Because HMPV infections can look like other lung illnesses, it can be hard to make a correct diagnosis without specific lab tests. Some common signs are cough, stuffy nose, fever, swelling and shortness of breath. HMPV can cause bronchitis, pneumonia and the worsening of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in severe cases, especially in people who are already weak. People with serious infections, especially babies and older people, often need to stay in the hospital.
HMPV mostly gets transmitted through breathing droplets, touching a dirty surface, or being close to someone with it. The virus changes with the seasons, like RSV and flu, with higher rates of spread seen in late winter and early spring.
Researchers have found that almost everyone is introduced to the HMPV virus by the time they are five years old. Even though it is very common, it is often not correctly identified because its symptoms are like those of other respiratory pathogens, and there aren't many routine tests to identify it available in clinical settings, unlike RT-PCR, Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) test, ELISA and viral culture.
New surveillance data shows that the number of hospitalizations due to HMPV is going up, especially among children. Up to 15 percent of respiratory illnesses during peak seasons have been linked to HMPV in some places. However, the real impact of the virus is still not fully understood because testing and reporting methods are not uniform worldwide.
HMPV has gotten much attention recently because of several localized breakouts and an apparent rise in severe cases. In 2023, hospitals in North America and Europe saw an unusually high number of HMPV cases. This stresses healthcare systems already dealing with the flu and RSV.
Public health experts say this rise is due to several things, such as increased mobility among people, lowered immunity from measures taken during the pandemic and better diagnostic tools.
One of the biggest problems with handling HMPV is that few quick and easy-to-find diagnostic tools exist. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is still the best way to find HMPV, but these tests are usually only done in research or specialized labs. Because of this, many HMPV cases are mistakenly thought to be caused by other lung viruses.
There is neither a special antiviral drug nor a vaccine for HMPV. Management is primarily supportive, aiming to ease symptoms and avoid complications. The lack of treatment options shows how urgently targeted study and drug development are required.
The lack of a vaccine for HMPV is a big gap in healthcare practitioners' knowledge of how to stop lung viruses. However, recent progress in virology and immunology has increased interest in developing vaccines again. For this, researchers are looking into a number of different methods, such as live-attenuated vaccines, subunit vaccines and platforms based on viral vectors.
The success of RSV vaccines in late-stage clinical studies shows that it is a good way to make an HMPV vaccine. However, some basic problems need to be solved first, such as understanding how the virus affects immune systems and making sure vaccines are safe for people who are at risk.
For now, public health measures are essential in stopping the virus from spreading. Using soap and water to wash hands often, avoiding close contact with people showing symptoms of respiratory illness, cleaning areas that are frequently touched to kill germs and using masks in crowded places are important preventive measures to stop the spread of HMPV.
Healthcare workers and the public need to be educated about HMPV to raise awareness and encourage people to take precautions. Tracking and studying the virus are essential to understand how severe HMPV can be and how to help people who have it. For this, we need better surveillance tools.
Adding HMPV tests to regular diagnostic panels for respiratory illnesses can help healthcare practitioners learn about how such diseases spread. Researchers can also understand how the virus causes disease and affects respiratory health in the long run.
Governments, universities and the pharmaceutical industry can collaborate on projects to speed up the development of vaccines and medicines. As the world continues to heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to ensure that people are better prepared for respiratory viruses such as HMPV.
When fighting the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes Covid-19, healthcare practitioners learned a lot, such as quickly manufacturing vaccines and setting up global monitoring and distribution networks. These lessons can be used to deal with reemerging threats like HMPV.
Even though HMPV isn't a well-known virus yet, its ability to cause illness and put stress on healthcare systems makes it critical to be informed and take timely action. Funding studies, improving diagnostic tools and encouraging people to take preventative steps can lessen the effects of this silent respiratory threat on public health.
HMPV transmits readily, yet it is usually not fatal in healthy individuals. Preparedness and collaboration across global health systems remain the cornerstone of combating viral epidemics. As history reminds us, borders cannot contain viruses. We can work towards a healthier and more resilient future by combining robust research, strategic policy-making and public awareness to mitigate their circulation.
(Mrityunjay Kumar is a PhD scholar and Research Assistant in the Department of Biotechnology, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad. Kanchan Bhardwaj is Professor at the School of Engineering and Technology, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad. Mirza Sarwar Baig is Assistant Professor at Centre For Virology, Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi. This article was originally published under Creative Commons by 360info)
