Infants younger than 1 Year have high risks of severe HMPV: Study

HMPV is not just another virus; it needs to be tackled carefully as it can easily target infants. Emergence of over 5 cases in India has created panic among all.

HMPV or the human metapneumovirus can spread easily, is prevalent during colder months of the year and there is no vaccine against the HMPV infection.

A 2021 study, published , highlights the impact of human metapneumovirus in children under 5 years in 2018.

The researchers found that in 2018, among children younger than 5 years globally, there were an estimated 14·2 million human metapneumovirus-associated acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) cases.

Similar to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, the rate of hospital admissions for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) associated with human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is significantly higher in infants compared to older children.

Approximately 58% of hospital admissions and 71% of in-hospital deaths from hMPV-associated ALRIs in children under five occur within the first year of life.

This high burden among infants is likely due to their immature immune systems and the waning of maternal antibodies during the early months of life, leaving them more vulnerable to severe infections, the researchers explain.