Your top questions about HMPV or Human Metapneumovirus answered by AKU experts
Three studies on HMPV as it affects children have been done and their findings published by Aga Khan University faculty, including Prof. Fyezah Jehan and Assoc. Prof. Ali Faisal Saleem of the Department of Paediatrics & Child Health. They offered a quick understanding of the public health issue:
Should we panic about HMPV?
There have been news reports of the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China. But note that the Chinese CDC has said that
more than one virus (and
not just HMPV) is to blame for the cases in the country. It said that it was a combination of Influenza, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), HMPV and the microplasma bacteria that were leading to hospital admissions.
- HMPV is not considered as severe as RSV and Influenza.
- In China children and the elderly were presenting with trouble breathing and pneumonia, in what the Chinese authorities said were a higher than normal number of cases
People in Pakistan get scared when they hear this news because we just emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic merely two years ago. Part of the anxiety is that the Covid vaccine took time to develop. There was no medicine we knew would fight it. Those feelings surface when we hear of such news.
What do we need to know about the HMPV infection?
- HMPV is not a new virus
- HMPV is a low level virus
- It doesn't bother children a lot
- If children are admitted with it, the data shows they are treated successfuly and do go home
- HMPV was actually first detected in the Netherlands in 2001 (and not China)
Is there a medicine or vaccine for HMPV?
No, there is no HMPV-specific vaccine out there yet. HMPV is actually not seen as fatal for the public which is why other more deadly viruses have been a priority for the scientific researchers and funders. What is available is the vaccine for Influenza which is considered worse than HMPV. The RSV vaccine has not been rolled out for the general public yet.
What did the AKU studies say about HMPV in Pakistani children?
In one study, roughly 14% of children admitted to the AKU ICU were diagnosed with HMPV, and 95% of them went home. Another study says that RSV and Influenza make children sicker and require longer hospitalisation compared to HMPV. And a study based on community work found that less than 10% of children had HMPV, less than 10% had Influenza and less than 10% had RSV.
How do you test for HMPV?
The test for HMPV is expensive because it is Molecular testing. This is why it is not always possible for governments to offer it.
What should I do to protect myself or children and the elderly from HMPV?
- Explore the flu vaccine for vulnerable people such as the children or elderly who may not have strong immunity. If you get vaccinated in Winter (Oct-Nov-Dec), then you are protected when these viruses surface in Spring (Feb-March-April)
- Encourage cough etiquette to prevent the spread of viruses.
- Wash your hands with soap regularly.
- Wear a mask in crowded settings such as weddings, bazaars.
Can HMPV start a pandemic?
Drs Fyezah Jehan and Ali Faisal Saleem both stressed we remember that the HMPV virus has not changed in 24 years since it was discovered. It also doesn’t have the strength to make us sick like Covid-19.
AKU works on pandemic preparedness and collaborates closely with the NIH or national government. During Covid-19's pandemic, Aga Khan University's faculty were keeping track of new strains of the virus at the Centre for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology. The genomic sequencing of any new strain would be uploaded to the GSAID website.
