What is HMPV virus?
Specialist Doctor 2 Nguyen Minh Tien (Deputy Director of Children's Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City) said that metapneumo virus (Human Metapneumovirus - HMPV) is a member of the Pneumoviridae family with RNA nucleus.
A large-scale 10-year study in South Korea from 2007 to 2016 identified 1,275 cases of HΜΡV infection and classified 94% of the strains into 5 genotype subgroups (A1, A2a, A2b, B1, and B2).
Based on reports from the Netherlands, UK, Finland, Australia, Canada, Kenya, China, Norway and many other countries, the virus is ubiquitous and has been associated with respiratory infections for at least the past 60 years.
HMPV infection rate?
According to the report of Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), statistics of week 52 in China recorded the number of hospitalized patients due to flu accounting for 32.5%, HMPV (6.2%), Rhinovirus (4.9%), adenovirus (3.7%)...
Regarding this issue, the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam conducted a study with the participation of 14 hospitals in 5 countries, including the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HCMC) and Khanh Hoa General Hospital.
During the period from July 2024 to December 2024, the research team recorded viral agents causing pneumonia in children including: influenza A, RSV, Rhinovirus, Bocavirus, enterovirus, Mastadenovirus, HMPV, Parainfluenza... Of which, HMPV only accounted for 12.5% of cases, ranking 7th among viral agents. In the group of adult patients, the rate of pneumonia caused by HMPV was 4.26%.
In addition, Dr. Tien said, seroprevalence data in studies around the world show that most infected children are under 5 years old. In studies of children with acute respiratory diseases, HMΡV has been detected in about 5-15% of patients, most commonly in children under 1 year old.
Testing helps find the agent that causes pneumonia.
When does the disease usually occur?
Dr. Tien said that HMΡV can cause upper and lower respiratory tract infections in patients of all age groups, but often occurs in young children or the elderly, those with underlying diseases, and immunodeficiency.
HМРV outbreaks vary seasonally, typically occurring in late winter and early spring in the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Finland, and late spring in Hong Kong. However, there was a summer outbreak of HМРV respiratory illness (involving 26 residents and 13 staff) in a long-term care facility in the United States.
Symptoms and prevention
Dr. Tien said that HMPV is transmitted through the respiratory tract through droplets in the air, through close contact, and contact with infected surfaces. According to medical records, there are some cases that can transmit the disease from the incubation period, the onset period, the full outbreak period, to the first days of the recovery period. The incubation period is from 5-9 days, and the recovery period is from 7-14 days.
“The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of the flu, such as upper respiratory tract infection, fever, cough, runny nose, stuffy nose, hoarseness, wheezing, etc. The rate of progression to lower respiratory tract infection such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis is recorded at about 5-10%,” Dr. Tien shared.
Treatment is mainly symptomatic, in some cases of secondary infection antibiotics may be used. Most cases resolve spontaneously.
Parents should not worry too much.
According to Dr. Tien, in Ho Chi Minh City, the respiratory disease situation in hospitals has not changed complicatedly, so parents should not be too worried and panic, but should pay attention to basic preventive measures as well as take their children to medical facilities when they show signs of acute respiratory infection, and should not be subjective.
“Currently, the vaccine is in the testing phase. To prevent HMPV and other respiratory viral agents, it is necessary to pay attention to controlling infection through droplets, objects, and contact surfaces such as wearing masks in crowded places, personal hygiene, washing hands, cleaning children's toys regularly, keeping the living environment clean and airy, cleaning floors, doorknobs, kitchen areas, etc. In addition, it is necessary to increase appropriate nutrition according to age, exercise, work, and rest regularly... Vaccinate children according to the national immunization program, and if possible, vaccinate against influenza and pneumococcus…”, Dr. Tien recommended.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hmpv-la-loai-virus-gi-phong-ngua-the-nao-185250106093402356.htm
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