Guwahati:

A 10-month-old child has been detected with the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection, the first such case this season in Assam, officials said today.

The child is “stable” and is undergoing treatment at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh.

AMCH superintendent Dhrubajyoti Bhuyan said the child was admitted to the state-run hospital with cold-related symptoms four days ago.

“The HMPV infection was confirmed yesterday after we got test results from the Lahowal-based ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR-RMRC),” he said.

He also said samples are sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for tests in influenza and flu-related cases as a routine practice.

“It was a routine test during which the HMPV infection was detected. The child is stable now. It is a common virus and there is nothing to worry about,” he said.

A senior official at the ICMR-RMRC in Lahowal said it was the first HMPV case this season. 

“Since 2014, we have detected 110 HMPV cases in Dibrugarh district. Every year it is detected, and nothing is new. We have got the sample from AMCH and this has been found positive for HMPV,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. 

HMPV Virus Is Similar To Flu, Not Like Covid

The HMPV is a respiratory virus and has recently gained attention after its outbreak in China. Experts, however, have dismissed fears that the situation is comparable to the beginnings of Covid-19 five years ago.

First discovered in 2001, it generally causes a mild infection of the upper respiratory tract and spreads via person-to-person contact or when someone touches a contaminated surface.

HMPV’s common symptoms include coughing, fever and a blocked nose — very similar to many types of cold and flu.

Vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems may develop more severe symptoms.