First HMPV Case in Mumbai, An 80-Year-Old Tests Positive in Gujarat.

First HMPV Case Reported in Mumbai: 80-Year-Old Tests Positive in Gujarat

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Pinky Deshmukh

Last Updated: January 10, 2025

Summary: The number of HMPV cases is rising in India, Mumbai reports its first case.

The human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which has been in the headlines since Chinese officials reported a spike in cases in Beijing, was detected in a six-month-old infant who was taken to a hospital's intensive care unit last week. As a result, there are currently three cases in Maharashtra.

On Tuesday, doctors at Powai's Hiranandani Hospital said they had informed the local civic office about the HMPV case that was confirmed on January 1. However, BMC health authorities at the Parel-based civic health headquarters said they had not yet received such a report.

With rising cases of respiratory illnesses, especially those caused by Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), many state governments are ramping up their monitoring efforts. There’s also been some worrying news about an HMPV outbreak in China, stirring up fears of another health crisis.

In India, at least eight cases of HMPV have been confirmed so far. Just recently, an 80-year-old man in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, tested positive for the virus.

Earlier the virus was only found in month-old babies, this marks the first case of HMPV virus in an elderly man since the breakout in China.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) said, “The patient is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital and he does not have any travel history abroad.”

In an official statement released on Wednesday, the Union Health Ministry emphasized that HMPV is among the various respiratory viruses that can lead to infections in individuals of all ages, especially in the winter and early spring seasons.

Since January 7, India has reported at least nine instances of HMPV infection. The earliest cases emerged from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. On that very day, Gujarat also confirmed a case, followed by two more cases in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Just this Wednesday, another HMPV infection was confirmed in Mumbai, and another case surfaced in Ahmedabad on Thursday.