HMPV India: Children bore the brunt of India’s human metapneumovirus (HMPV) uptick early this year, with the highest diagnoses in toddlers aged 1–2, according to a study in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia. Most confirmed cases resembled acute respiratory illness or influenza, with fever and cough the most common symptoms.
Researchers from ICMR institutes and Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Public Health reported no recent change in HMPV’s epidemiological profile, despite heightened attention following a seasonal surge in China in late 2024.
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Cases in India began rising from the second week of January, with reports from states including Gujarat and Puducherry. Surveillance data from Tamil Nadu’s Model for Integrated Influenza Surveillance, analysed alongside national testing by the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory Network, showed that between 2019 and 2023 more than 20,000 people were tested for HMPV, yielding 1,030 positives (3.2%).
In 2024, over 11,100 people were tested, with 367 positives (3.3%). The highest positivity rate was consistently recorded among children aged 1–2 years, at 4.5% (128/2,864) during 2019–2023 and 4.6% (70/1,508) in 2024. Fever was reported in 70.3% of cases from 2019 to 2023 and in 79.6% (292/8,398) of cases in 2024. Cough occurred in 60.5% (401/12,059) and 60.8% (223/5,977) of cases, respectively. Illness typically lasted around 11 days, with a median hospital stay of about seven days.
The study situates India’s experience within a broader regional context, noting estimates from China that HMPV accounted for more than six per cent of respiratory illnesses and five per cent of hospitalisations during the 2024 wave.
The authors conclude that higher testing and detections in 2024 reflect growing recognition of HMPV as a significant respiratory pathogen in India and stress that strengthening surveillance networks remains essential to track emerging viruses and guide public-health policy.
