HMPV cases rise in UK after fears of major outbreak in China

Cases of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) have jumped in the UK amid speculation about an outbreak in China.

Data shared by health authorities shows that infections have been going up during December and are expected to continue to rise in the coming weeks.

In the last week of 2024, the level of activity of the virus was described as ‘medium’ and positive cases had increased slightly to 4.5%, consistent with trends from previous years.

Prof Paul Hunter, professor in medicine, UEA, said: ‘In England we have seen a fairly marked increase in recent weeks.

‘So far the peak % positivity is a little over what it was this time last year so no major difference to usual, unless infections positivity rates continue to increase in coming weeks.

‘So overall, I don’t think there is currently any signs of a more serious global issue.’

Chinese authorities in late December confirmed a rising rate of children ages 14 and under testing positive.

Scenes of patients strapped to IV drips and crowded in the waiting rooms of hospitals in China have been circulating online since, further digging into the scars left by the pandemic.

India, Kazakhstan and Malaysia are some of the countries that have also reported cases.

But UK authorities have stressed that hMPV is nothing like Covid-19 and that the virus has been around for decades after being discovered in the Netherlands.

Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group said: ‘The reports of respiratory infections in China in the past few days appear to be attributed to both influenza and this human meta pneumovirus.

‘This is rather similar to the situation in the UK this week. A vaccine for a similar virus, RSV, was launched by the NHS in 2024 and new vaccines are being developed which could protect against both RSV and hMPV in one jab.’

Most hMPV infections are mild, resembling bouts of the common cold or flu that recover by themselves within two to five days.

Symptoms include cough, fever, nasal congestion and wheezing, but some bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia can occur in severe cases.

There is no vaccine or treatment for hMPV, but scientists at the University of Oxford launched a phase 1 study to test a vaccine for it.

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