Tan Jingjing
03 Jun 2023, 05:49 GMT+10
LOS ANGELES, June 2 (Xinhua) -- As cases of COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were winding down across the United States, infections of another respiratory virus, called human metapneumovirus (HMPV), were picking up during spring and drawing concern as many people had not known about it.
Discovered in 2001, HMPV is in the Pneumoviridae family along with RSV. Broader use of molecular diagnostic testing has increased identification and awareness of HMPV as an important cause of upper and lower respiratory infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cases of HMPV spiked in the United States this spring, according to the CDC's respiratory virus surveillance system. The percent of tests positive for HMPV surged to 17.5 percent for antigen tests and 9.6 percent for PCR tests at the end of March.
At its peak in mid-March, nearly 11 percent of tested specimens were positive for HMPV, a number that was about 36 percent higher than the average, pre-pandemic seasonal peak of 7 percent test positivity, according to a CNN report.
It filled hospital intensive care units with young children and seniors who are the most vulnerable to these infections.
HMPV can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.
Surveillance data from the CDC's the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System shows HMPV to be most active during late winter and spring in temperate climates.
Symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath, according to the CDC.
Unlike COVID-19 and the flu, there is no vaccine for HMPV or antiviral drugs to treat it. Instead, doctors care for seriously ill people by tending to their symptoms.
But there is no need to be too concerned about HMPV, a leading epidemiologist told Xinhua.
"The transmission mode, prevention methods, symptoms, and treatment of this virus are similar to influenza. So there is no need to worry too much except for the elderly people, the immunocompromised population and other high-risk groups," Zhang Zuofeng, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Xinhua on Friday.
Get a daily dose of Knoxville Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Knoxville Times.
More InformationJEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: As part of Riyadh's efforts to further Saudi Arabia's electrification drive, electric vehicle (EV) maker Lucid announced ...
NEW YORK, New York - Stock prices were punctured Friday bringing to an end the 'flash in the pan' rally ...
WASHINGTON D.C. Due to internal brake fluid leaks that can cause an electrical short and could lead to engine fires, ...
WASHINGTON D.C. As part of its efforts to remove goods made by Uyghur forced labor from the U.S. supply chain, ...
LONDON, UK: In August, global production of primary aluminum hit an all-time high, with production running at an annualized rate ...
NEW YORK, New York - Easing pressure on U.S. Treasury yields boost stocks on American markets Thursday. Gains however were ...
MANILA, The Philippines: The Philippines remains steadfast in its resolve not to yield to Chinese efforts to obstruct its fishermen ...
VICTORIA, Texas: This week, U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton in Victoria, Texas, ruled that President Joe Biden did not have ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it is investigating a JetBlue flight on Monday that experienced sudden ...
SEOUL, South Korea: Marking a tougher stand against North Korea, South Korea held its first large-scale military parade in over ...
WASHINGTON D.C. After hundreds of deaths overseas from contaminated cough syrups, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cracked ...
EL PASO, Texas: Over the weekend, Oscar Leeser, Mayor of El Paso, said that the surge in migrants crossing the ...