Top disease experts have urged Chinese authorities to reveal critical data about a worrying breakout of the respiratory infection hMPV.
Dr Andrew Catchpole, a British virologist, said it was crucial to know more about the ‘specific strains’ that have left some hospitals in the country ‘overwhelmed’ with sick patients.
The call comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is currently ‘monitoring’ the spread of the virus in China, which can be deadly for those with underlying health conditions.
Dr Catchpole, the Chief Scientific Officer at infectious disease testing firm hVIVO, told Daily Mail: “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.
“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.”
The Center for Disease Control said it was aware of increasing HMPV cases in northern China following reports from Beijing-run media confirming positivity rates have risen significantly among children 14 and younger.
The CDC, however, stressed that the number of cases of the respiratory disease in America remains at “pre-pandemic” levels and is not a cause for concern.
The virus – which is more common in winter and spring – can cause symptoms similar to flu, affecting the upper respiratory system. However, in some cases, it can also lead to lower respiratory infections.
The symptoms can include a cough, fever, nasal congestion, sore throat, and shortness of breath. It is spread between people through coughing, sneezing, or person-to-person contact.
It’s thought that the virus incubates for three to six days and can last different lengths of time depending on how severe the infection is.
One of the main dangers is that HMPV can cause more severe illnesses that can be a threat to life, like pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, asthma, and COPD.
While low, cases in the US have been increasing steadily since November, with the CDC finding that of the estimated 13,800 people tested for respiratory diseases in the week of Dec. 28, only 1.94% tested positive for HMPV.
