Assam reports first HMPV case this season as 10-month-old child tests positive in Dibrugarh

The infant is undergoing treatment at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh and is said to be “stable”, the officials said.

The child was admitted to AMCH with cold-related symptoms four days ago, superintendent of the state-run hospital Dr Dhrubajyoti Bhuyan said.

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“The HMPV infection was confirmed yesterday after we got test results from Lahowal-based ICMR-RMRC,” PTI quoted the hospital superintendent as saying.

Bhuyan added that samples are sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research or IMCR for tests in influenza and flu-related cases as a routine practice.

“It was a routine test during which the HMPV infection was detected. The child is stable now. It is a common virus, and there is nothing to worry about,” the senior doctor said.

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Meanwhile, ICMR- Regional Medical Research Centre, NE, Lahowal (Dibrugarh) senior scientist Dr Biswajit Borkakoty said, “Since 2014, we have detected 110 HMPV cases in Dibrugarh district. This is the first case this season. Every year, it is detected, and nothing is new. We have got the sample from AMCH and this has been found positive for HMPV.”

Also Read | What you need to know about HMPV

The human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild cold-like symptoms. Studies show it has circulated in human populations since the 1970s, though it was first identified by scientists in 2001. The virus accounts for 4-16% of acute respiratory infections globally, with cases usually peaking between November and May. While most adults have developed immunity through previous exposure, hMPV can cause more severe symptoms in infants encountering it for the first time and in people with weakened immune systems.

Recent HMPV cases in other states

Gujarat: An eight-year-old boy from Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district has contracted HMPV, taking the number of cases in the state to three, PTI reported on Friday.

The boy, who belongs to a family of farm labourers from Prantij taluka, was found positive for HMPV in a test run by a private laboratory but health authorities had sent his blood samples to a government lab for confirmation, he said. The child, who is currently admitted to a private hospital in Himmatnagar town, had been considered a suspected HMPV case until now.

Maharashtra: Two suspected cases of HMPV were detected in Nagpur, and both patients were in good health, while their samples have been collected, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The patients were sent home after treatment, and their samples have been sent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and National Institute of Virology in Pune, the official said.

Cases of HMPV were also confirmed in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.