Australians have been told not to panic over an outbreak of the respiratory infection metapneumovirus (HMPV), which is reported to be overwhelming hospitals in China – but experts are closely monitoring the situation.
Beijing has downplayed footage of overcrowded waiting rooms and wards posted on social media, saying respiratory infections are ‘less severe’ and ‘smaller in scale’ compared to last year.
That has led some to fear there are similarities with the current situation and the Covid outbreak in 2019, which was initially played down by China.
At the same time, data from the UK shows a rise in cases in recent weeks.
According to virus monitoring data from the UK Health Security Agency, as of December 23, one in 10 children tested for respiratory infections in hospitals were found to be positive for HMPV.
However, leading epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett has reassured the public that the HPMPV outbreak poses no significant threat in Australia at the moment, as it is summer here – a season less conducive to respiratory infections.
‘Winter is always where our hospitalisations for respiratory disease are at their highest, and that’s what China is going through now,’ she explained.
HMPV typically causes symptoms similar to the common cold, including a cough, runny nose or nasal congestion, a sore throat and fever that clear after around five days.
Aussies have been alarmed by reports from China about outbreaks of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). A clinic waiting room in China is pictured
The above are clips from videos claiming to show overwhelmed hospitals in China
But more severe symptoms such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia can occur, with sufferers experiencing a shortness of breath, severe cough or wheezing.
There is no vaccine yet or specific antiviral treatment for HMPV and treatment primarily involves managing symptoms.
HMPV spreads through tiny droplets that are expelled by the infected when they breath, but to a far greater extent when they cough and sneeze.
Infection can occur when people close by breathe in these droplets or by touching surfaces contaminated with them, like door handles, and then going on to touch their face or mouth.
People with HMPV can also spread the virus while suffering no symptoms themselves, as they are still contagious before they begin to feel ill.
Unlike COVID, HMPV is not a new virus to humans, with the first case of a human infection reported in 2001 in the Netherlands.
‘They’re comparing it to COVID, but COVID was essentially a new human virus. No one had any great immunity against COVID, and so we were all vulnerable.’
‘In contrast HMPV is a virus that’s been known about for all of this century,’ Professor Bennett explained. ‘In fact, it’s something that’s reasonably common.’
However, she warned it is crucial to remain actively involved in monitoring the spread of the illness, as viruses continually evolve over time.
Experts have cautioned that HMPV, which produces flu-like symptoms, can lurk in the body for days and so it can be easily passed on to others
‘The reason other countries are monitoring the situation is to check for any unusual increase in cases – more than what is typically seen.’
‘They want to ensure that the virus hasn’t changed or that our vulnerability hasn’t increased.’
Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, 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 about who is getting infected.’
He added: ‘Also, we will need genomic data confirming that HMPV is the culprit, and that there aren’t any significant mutations of concern.’
Virus expert Dr Andrew Catchpole said that it is unclear how high the number of cases are in China.
‘HMPV is usually detected in the winter periods but it does seem that the rates of serious infection may be higher in China than what we would expect in a normal year,’ he explained.
‘We need more information on the specific strain that is circulating to start to understand if this is the usual circulating strains or if the virus causing high infection rates in China has some differences.’
Promisingly, Dr Catchpole noted that while hMPV ‘does mutate and change over time with new strains emerging’, it is ‘not a virus considered to have pandemic potential’.
Professor Jill Carr, a virologist in the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University, also cautioned the current outbreak in China was not likely to cause a global crisis.
Leading epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett has reassured the public that the HPMPV outbreak poses no 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 to the COVID-19 pandemic, where the virus was completely new in humans and arose from a spill-over from animals and spread to pandemic levels because there was no prior exposures or protective immunity in the community.’
‘The scientific community also has some understanding of the genetic diversity and epidemiology of HMPV, the kind of impact the virus has on the lungs and established laboratory testing methods – again, very different to the COVID-19 pandemic, where a new lung disease was seen, there was little information on how the virus may vary and spread and we had no initial diagnostic tests.’
Dr Jacqueline Stephens, an associate professor in public health at Flinders University agreed.
‘I think we’re just more cautious of outbreaks now.’
‘Everyone is hypervigilant, and you hear this term human metapneumovirus and it sounds kind of scary.’
