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MANILA, Philippines — A total of 284 cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) were recorded in the country last year, but the a viral disease on the rise in Chinais not new and is only sweet, the The Department of Health (DOH) highlighted this on Wednesday.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said these cases represented 5.8% of the 4,921 samples collected between January 1 and December 21, 2024.
“HMPV is detected sporadically, without clustering or unusual patterns, throughout the year,” Herbosa said in a statement.
HMPV was discovered in 2001 by Dutch researchers in nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from children with respiratory infections caused by unknown pathogens.
“HMPV is not a new virus,” Herbosa said. “We were able to identify it a long time ago.”
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“His symptoms are not serious. Like coughs and colds, it heals on its own as long as our resistance is strong,” he added.
The DOH noted that there is an “increasing trend” of HMPV and other respiratory diseases in China, but it noted that this trend is expected during the winter season in that country.
This clarification comes as publications on social networks indicate that a new epidemic in China causes “international health concern”, a claim already denied by the Chinese embassy in Manila.
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