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A 59-year-old man from Kutch tested positive for Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Ahmedabad, bringing the total number of cases in Gujarat to five on Saturday.
The patient admitted to Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad, reportedly has no travel history.
Earlier, a 2-month-old infant was admitted to Orange Hospital in Ahmedabad’s Chandkheda area on December 24, 2024. The child’s report came back positive on December 26.
However, the hospital failed to inform authorities, prompting AMC health officials to issue a notice and demand an explanation.
The second case emerged in Himmatnagar, where an 8-year-old child from a village in Prantij Taluka tested positive. The child was admitted to a private hospital and placed in the ICU. Following the case, the health department took immediate action.
An 80-year-old man from Vastrapur, Ahmedabad was admitted to Sterling Hospital in Memnagar after testing HMPV positive.
The fourth case was another infant, a 9-month-old, from Ahmedabad. The child was initially admitted to Viha Children’s Hospital but was later transferred to Childhood Hospital.
The Gujarat government has issued an advisory on HMPV, a respiratory virus prevalent in winter, particularly among children and the elderly. Symptoms resemble those of the common cold and flu, including cough, runny nose, and sore throat.
The Health and Family Welfare Department has urged citizens to follow do’s and don’ts to prevent respiratory infections. Additionally, the government plans to issue an advisory for travelers entering India and make RTPCR tests mandatory.
According to the Ministry of Health, HMPV was first identified in 2001 and has spread worldwide since then. Experts note that most HMPV cases do not require hospitalization, and there’s no need to panic.
India’s first case
HMPV was first confirmed in India in 2003 when BJ Medical College and NIV Pune detected it in a child from Pune. In a 2024 study in Gorakhpur, HMPV symptoms were found in 4% of children suffering from respiratory diseases.
The first-ever global case of HMPV was reported in 2001. Currently, no specific vaccine or antiviral treatment exists for the virus. Severe cases are managed with oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, and corticosteroids.
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