A case of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) has been identified in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, shortly after the Union Health Ministry confirmed two cases of HMPV in Karnataka. This marks the first reported HMPV infection in Gujarat. The patient, a two-year-old child, is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in the Chandkheda area of Ahmedabad.
Earlier in the day, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced two HMPV cases in Karnataka, detected through routine surveillance for respiratory viral pathogens. One case involved a three-month-old female infant with a history of bronchopneumonia, who was diagnosed with HMPV at Bengaluru’s Baptist Hospital and has since been discharged. The second case involved an eight-month-old male infant, also with a history of bronchopneumonia, who tested positive on January 3. He is currently recovering.
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The health ministry emphasized that neither patient in Karnataka had any history of international travel. It also confirmed that data from the ICMR and Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) show no unusual increase in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases nationwide. The situation is under close surveillance through established monitoring systems. The ICMR will continue tracking HMPV circulation trends throughout the year, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) is sharing timely updates on similar developments globally.
A recent nationwide preparedness drill has demonstrated India’s readiness to address potential respiratory illness outbreaks, with well-established public health measures ready to be implemented as needed, the ministry assured.