HMPV once appeared in Ho Chi Minh City
Sharing about HMPV, Dr. Truong Huu Khanh - former Head of the Department of Infection - Neurology, Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City said that this is not a strange or new virus.
HMPV is one of the viruses that cause respiratory diseases in humans. Based on genetic analysis, this virus has appeared and caused disease in humans for a long time.
On January 7, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that the infectious disease surveillance system in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024 recorded the number of respiratory infections fluctuating between 16,000 - 18,000 cases per month in the first 8 months of the year, increasing in the last 3 months of the year.
Respiratory diseases tend to increase when the weather turns cold. There have been no unusual fluctuations in the number of cases or serious illnesses in hospitals.
Regarding pathogens, the results of the community-acquired pneumonia research program show that the pathogens are still common viruses and bacteria.
Test results of 103 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (56 children and 47 adults) hospitalized from July to December 2024 at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City showed that HMPV accounted for a small proportion (12.5% in children) compared to other agents causing community-acquired pneumonia.
The more common agents found in children were H.influenzae (71.4%), S.pneumoniae (42.9%), rhinovirus (44.6%), and RSV (41.1%).
Common pathogens in adults were H. influenzae (42.6%), S. pneumoniae (27.7%), and influenza A virus (48.9%).
During the outbreak of respiratory infections in children in late 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City, surveillance results also recorded a diversity of common viral agents. Of which, the HMPV agent was also detected at a rate of 15%.
Do not be subjective, actively monitor
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health recommends not to be subjective about possible developments. The unit has directed the City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) and medical units to continue to closely monitor the epidemic situation in the world, be ready to deploy medical quarantine activities at airports and seaports under the direction of the Department of Preventive Medicine to detect early and prevent the risk of disease spread (if any); continue domestic epidemiological surveillance activities.
HMPV is a virus of the Pneumoviridae family, first discovered in 2001.
HMPV is related to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is one of the agents causing upper and lower respiratory tract infections in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.
The virus spreads from person to person through direct contact or indirectly through contaminated surfaces, with the risk increasing during winter and early spring.
Common symptoms include cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, fever; in severe cases, it can cause severe pneumonia.
Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for HMPV. Therefore, it is important to implement disease prevention measures as recommended by the health sector.
As reported by Lao Dong Newspaper, HMPV is a globally recognized respiratory virus; it has recently attracted attention after an outbreak in China.
Five cases of HMPV infection were confirmed in India on January 6, marking the first cases of illness linked to the virus in India.
