CDC Warns of Human Metapneumovirus After Surge in Cases

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of an uptick in Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) across the country
Health experts believe the situation is partly due to the public's increased capacity to test for different viruses
The disease remained generally under the radar until more and more people began to care more about other viruses and diseases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of the generally unknown Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) that flew under everyone's radar following a surge in cases across the United States in winter and spring.

The health agency last week reported that there was an uptick in hMPV cases across the country. Health experts have argued that the situation could be a result of the public's increased capacity to test for different viruses.

A Surge in Human Metapneumovirus Cases

In a statement, an infectious disease specialist at Boston Children's Hospital, Dr. Rick Malley, said that there is now greater attention to identifying the cause of infections than previous times. He also attributed this to the coronavirus pandemic that rattled the world in 2020, as per USA Today.

Malley noted that the importance of other viruses and their corresponding diseases have come under the spotlight, causing more people to hear about this particular virus. It is an infection that affects the upper and respiratory tract.

While the hMPV is known to affect people of all ages, the CDC warned that young children, older adults, and people who have weaker immune systems are at greater risk. The virus was first discovered in 2001 and is considered to belong to the Pneumoviridatae family, which includes the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Patients who are infected with hMPV generally experience mild symptoms that are similar to a cold, said the American Lung Association. These symptoms commonly last about two to five days and typically resolve on their own among healthy individuals.

Generally Unknown Respiratory Infection

The surge in hMPV cases caused hospitals across the United States to be filled with young children and seniors who are considered to be the most vulnerable to these types of infections. During the virus' peak in mid-March, almost 11% of all tested specimens were attributed to hMPV, which is roughly 36% higher than the average, pre-pandemic seasonal peak of 7% test positivity, according to CNN.

Most patients who get infected most likely did not know that they even had it as people who are sick with hMPV are not usually tested for it outside of a hospital or ER. Unlike the coronavirus and the flu, there is currently no vaccine for the virus and there are no antiviral drugs that can fight against it.

Studies have also shown that the disease causes similar levels of difficulties in the United States every year compared to the flu and RSV. One research that involved analysis of patient samples that were collected over 25 years discovered that it is the second most common cause of respiratory infections in children, just behind RSV.

Another study that was conducted over four winters in New York found that the disease was as common in hospitalized seniors as RSV and the flu. Furthermore, similar to those infections, hMPV can result in a patient being transferred to intensive care and there are also fatal cases of pneumonia in older adults, said KSL.