India reports 59 HMPV cases: Health ministry

NEW DELHI: Union minister Prataprao Jadhav informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that 59 cases of HMPV and two deaths due to co-morbidities were reported between January 6 and 29, according to the integrated disease surveillance programme (IDSP). The cases include 17 from Tamil Nadu, 11 from Gujarat, and nine from Puducherry, Jadhav stated in a written reply.
Young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are more prone to the virus, causing respiratory illnesses that vary from mild cold-like symptoms to severe pneumonia.
According to minister of state for health Jadhav, the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) has been present worldwide since 2001 and there hasn't been a notable increase in instances of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) or influenza like illness (ILI) anywhere in the nation.
He added that the union health ministry has implemented a number of initiatives to track and control the spread of HMPV cases as well as raise public awareness about HMPV symptoms and strategies.
The Indian council for medical research (ICMR) sentinel surveillance data also confirmed no unusual rise in ILI or SARI cases across the country, Jadhav stated.
Outlining the measures taken to control HMPV, he said that the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre (PHEOC) at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been operational since January 6, 2025, to monitor the HMPV situation regularly.
A daily situational report (SitRep) is shared with relevant stakeholders. In order to test and sequence any positive respiratory samples from hospitalized SARI cases, states and union territories have been advised to remain attentive and transmit them to authorized virus research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs), said Jadhav. He added, India already has a strong ILI and SARI surveillance infrastructure in place via the ICMR and IDSP networks.
States have been advised to strengthen information, education, and communication (IEC) efforts to raise awareness about preventing the transmission of the virus through simple measures like washing hands with soap and water.
The states are advised to cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, avoid close contact with those who are displaying symptoms of the sickness, and refrain from touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
The government conducted a nationwide preparedness drill, confirming that the health system is adequately equipped to handle the seasonal rise in respiratory illnesses, Jadhav said.
The situation of respiratory illnesses in India and the status regarding HMPV cases were reviewed in a number of meetings with various stakeholders at the level of secretary (health and family welfare), director general of health services, and joint monitoring group, he said.
The stakeholders are department of health research, DGHS, health secretaries and officials of states, experts from the integrated disease surveillance platform (IDSP), NCDC, Indian council of medical research (ICMR), national institute of virology (NIV) and state surveillance units of IDSP.
He advised the states to review and improve ILI/SARI surveillance.
One of the several respiratory viruses that can infect people of all ages is the HMPV, especially in the winter and early spring. Coughing, runny nose, fever, sore throat, and dyspnea are some of the symptoms.
The virus infection is usually a mild and self-limiting condition and most cases recover on their own, the minister said.
Jadhav informed that the majority of patients heal on their own and that the viral infection is often a mild and self-limiting disease.