HMPV Virus Cases: As the cases of HMPV virus are increasing in the country, the Health Ministry has become active regarding the cases. However, the good news is that there has been no increase in respiratory diseases. But the health ministry has advised all states to increase surveillance on severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI) to identify respiratory diseases.
Center issued notification
Union Health Ministry officials gave instructions to increase vigilance on SARI and ILI cases during a meeting on the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), a Karnataka health official said. The official also said, ‘An advisory has been given for HMPV to test all SARI cases and testing kits will be sent to the states.’
The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, has analyzed data on respiratory infections like common cold, ILI and SARI in the state and found no major increase in the number of cases reported in December 2024 compared to the previous year.
The IDSP review of all states on Monday also showed no major increase in respiratory infections in the country. India also reported 9 cases of HMPV in December, with a zero mortality rate.
9 cases of HMPV reported in December
After investigation of 714 suspected cases in December 2024, 1.3 percent cases of HMPV were reported in the country. The nine cases reported in December include four from Puducherry, two from Odisha and one each from Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. All the patients have recovered. Of the three cases reported so far in January, a three-month-old baby in Bengaluru has been discharged from hospital, while an eight-month-old baby is also recovering. In the Ahmedabad case, the patient recovered and was discharged.
