BENGALURU: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed two cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka on Monday. Both cases were identified during routine surveillance for various respiratory viral pathogens as part of ICMR’s efforts to monitor respiratory illnesses nationwide.
The patients were taken to the city’s Baptist Hospital. One of the patients, a three-month-old girl, has recovered and been discharged, while an eight-month-old boy, who tested positive on January 3 after being admitted to the same hospital, is recovering.
The ICMR confirmed that the two patients did not have any history of international travel. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who held a high-level meeting with his department officials on Monday, maintained that HMPV is not a cause for concern. “It is an existing virus. It is not right to claim that they are the first two cases of HMPV reported in Karnataka,” he said, adding that monitoring for it was not done earlier. He stated that HMPV has been around “for a long time,” typically causing flu-like symptoms such as cold and cough. “It is a self-limiting virus that resolves on its own after some time. I don’t think it should be labeled as the first two cases,” he said.
Rao clarified that the specific strain of virus detected in the infants remains unknown, as no data is available on the strain found in China. “They (families of affected individuals) are local residents and have no travel history to China, Malaysia, or any other country. So, I do not think there is any connection to those cases,” the minister said. Addressing concerns about China’s outbreak, he said, “Their cases are reportedly linked to a new variant of HMPV. We don’t have full details yet. The Government of India is working to gather more information.”
Rao said the Union government is closely monitoring the situation. The minister added that it has not yet been determined whether this poses a serious public health concern or if PCR tests are necessary. “I don’t think we should start testing everyone. We first need to know what strain is circulating in China. That information should come first,” he said.