Australians have been urged not to panic over an outbreak of the respiratory infection metapneumovirus (HMPV), which is believed to have overwhelmed the country’s hospitals. China – but experts are monitoring the situation closely.
Beijing has downplayed images of crowded waiting rooms and wards posted on social media, saying respiratory infections are “less serious” and “lower in magnitude” compared to last year.
The rapid spread of the new virus from China to Europe bears a worrying resemblance to the trajectory followed by COVID-19[feminine during the northern winter of 2019/20, and this was also initially downplayed by Chinese authorities.
UK data also shows an increase in HMPV cases in recent weeks.
According to virus surveillance data from the UK Health Security Agency, as of December 23, ten percent of children tested for respiratory infections in hospitals tested positive for HMPV.
Epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett said the virus was already present in Australia.
But she insisted that the HMPV outbreak currently poses no immediate threat because it is summer, when outdoor lifestyles and ventilated homes limit the spread of respiratory infections.
“It’s important that people know it’s here,” Professor Bennett said. “It’s responsible for the respiratory illness we had during our winter.
Australians have been alarmed by reports from China of outbreaks of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). Photo of a clinic waiting room in China
The above are excerpts from videos purporting to show overwhelmed hospitals in China.
“Winter is always the time when our hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses are highest, and that’s what China is experiencing right now.”
Unlike COVID, HMPV is not a new virus for humans, with the first case of human infection reported in 2001 in the Netherlands.
In Australia, HMPV has become the third most commonly detected virus in adults and children with respiratory infections.
“They compare it to COVID, but COVID was essentially a new human virus. No one had much immunity to COVID and so we were all vulnerable,” Professor Bennett explained.
“On the other hand, HMPV is a virus that has been known for this entire century. In fact, it’s something quite common.
HMPV usually causes symptoms similar to coldincluding cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and fever that go away after about five days.
But more serious symptoms such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia can occur, with shortness of breath, severe cough or wheezing.
There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for HMPV yet, and treatment primarily involves managing symptoms.
HMPV is spread by tiny droplets that are expelled by infected people when they breathe, but to a much greater extent when they cough and sneeze.
Infection can occur when nearby people breathe in these droplets or touch surfaces contaminated with them, such as doorknobs, and then touch their face or mouth.
People with HMPV can also spread the virus without suffering symptoms themselves, because they are contagious before they start feeling sick.
Experts have warned that HMPV, which produces flu-like symptoms, can lurk in the body for days and can therefore be easily transmitted to others.
Professor Bennett warned that it was crucial to remain actively involved in monitoring the spread of the disease in China, as viruses continually evolve over time.
“The reason other countries are monitoring the situation is to check for any unusual increase in cases – more than is usually seen.”
“They want to make sure the virus hasn’t changed or our vulnerability hasn’t increased.”
Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor of medicine and psychology at the Australian National University, said it was “vital for China to share its data on this outbreak in a timely manner”, including ” data on infected people.
He added: “We will also need genomic data confirming that HMPV is the culprit and that there are no significant mutations of concern. »
Virus expert Dr Andrew Catchpole said it was unclear what the number of cases was in China.
“HMPV is usually detected in winter, but it appears that serious infection rates are higher in China than would be expected in a normal year,” he explained.
“We need more information about the specific strain that is circulating to begin to understand whether these are the usual strains circulating or whether the virus causing high infection rates in China has some differences. “
Promisingly, Dr. Catchpole noted that although HMPV “mutates and changes over time with the emergence of new strains,” it “is not a virus considered to have pandemic potential.”
Professor Jill Carr, a virologist at Flinders University’s Faculty of Medicine and Public Health, also warned the current outbreak in China was unlikely to cause a global crisis.
Renowned epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett has reassured the public that the HPMPV outbreak does not pose a significant threat in Australia at the moment as it is summer here – a season less conducive to respiratory infections .
She said: “This is very different from the COVID-19 pandemic, where the virus was completely new in humans and resulted from spread from animals and spread to pandemic levels because “there was no prior exposure or protective immunity in the community.” ‘
“The scientific community also has some understanding of the genetic diversity and epidemiology of HMPV, the type of impact the virus has on the lungs, and established laboratory testing methods – again, very different from the COVID-19 pandemic, where a new lung disease was detected As we have seen, there was little information about how the virus might vary and spread and we had no initial diagnostic tests. .
Dr Jacqueline Stephens, associate professor of public health at Flinders University, agrees.
“We are now more cautious about outbreaks,” Dr Stephens said.
“Everyone is hypervigilant, and you hear this term human metapneumovirus and it sounds pretty scary.”
