"No serious situation has emerged anywhere in country": Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao on HMPV cases

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 6 (ANI): Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao on Monday assured the public that the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases detected in Bangalore are not connected to the HMPV in China and stated that no serious situation has emerged anywhere in the country.
Speaking to mediapersons, Dinesh Gundurao said that HMPV cases found in the state capital are influenza-like illnesses that are respiratory illnesses and asserted that the people affected with it recover after a few days.
" Influenza-like illness that is respiratory illnesses, in that 1% of the illnesses are normally due to this HMPV virus. It is a very normal thing and there are no fatalities in this. People get it; they are affected for a few days and it passes on. That is the same HMPV that has been detected in Bengaluru... It is the same thing; there is nothing to panic about what they are talking about in China... Right now it is not connected to what is over here. The government of India is monitoring it...now there is no surge of cases...no serious situation has emerged anywhere in the country," Dinesh Gundurao said.
CM Siddaramaiah, commenting on the situation, said, "It has been found in two children. I talked to Dinesh Gundurao, who is in charge of the health department... He took up a meeting with the department. Whatever decision it takes, the government will implement it. The government will take all precautionary measures and document this disease..."
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed the detection of two cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka, identified through routine surveillance for respiratory viral pathogens.
The Ministry of Health, in a release, has stated that these cases were detected as part of ICMR's ongoing efforts to monitor and control respiratory illnesses across the country.
HMPV is a respiratory virus that is already circulating globally, including in India. It has been associated with respiratory illnesses in various countries, although there has been no unusual surge in cases in India.
The ICMR emphasised that despite the detection of these two cases, there has been no significant increase in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in the country.
One of the affected individuals is a 3-month-old female infant, who was diagnosed with HMPV after being admitted to Baptist Hospital in Bengaluru. She had a history of bronchopneumonia and was discharged after receiving treatment.
The second case involves an 8-month-old male infant who tested positive for HMPV on January 3, 2025, following his admission to Baptist Hospital in Bengaluru, also with a history of bronchopneumonia. This infant is currently recovering and is in stable condition. Neither of the infants had any history of international travel, suggesting that the cases are local and not connected to outbreaks outside the country. (ANI)