China’s Winter Surge of Flu-Like hMPV Cases Puts Nations on Edge
- China CDC has reported an increase in human metapneumovirus
- Beijing says current winter surge is milder than last year
China’s winter illness season is less severe compared to the year before, according to data from its health authority. But the proliferation of a long-standing though little-known pathogen called human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has been raising alarm both at home and in other countries.
Cases of hMPV are on a steady rise and the pathogen has been identified as a main cause of respiratory illness and hospitalizations this winter, said the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. While not a new virus, hMPV appears to also be vexing governments across the region, with India, Malaysia and Hong Kong reporting cases in recent days.
