HMPV cases rise in Gujarat: 8-year-old boy affected

An eight-year-old boy from Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district has tested positive for human metapneumovirus (HMPV), bringing the total number of cases in the state to three, as reported by authorities on Friday.

The child, who hails from a family of farm workers in Prantij taluka, was initially found positive for HMPV through testing by a private laboratory. Health officials then sent his blood samples for confirmation to a government laboratory. The test results confirmed the infection.

As of now, the boy is receiving treatment at a private hospital in Himmatnagar, where his condition is stable, according to Sabarkantha District Collector Ratankanvar Gadhavicharan. However, the doctors at the hospital stated that the child is on a ventilator.

This case marks the third reported in the state, following Gujarat's first HMPV case on January 6. The first patient, a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan, was diagnosed with HMPV and was later discharged after treatment at a local hospital.

On Thursday, a new case was confirmed in Ahmedabad city, involving an 80-year-old man suffering from asthma. He is currently being treated at a private hospital.

HMPV, first discovered in 2001, is a member of the Paramyxoviridae family, closely related to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The virus spreads through respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing, as well as from touching contaminated surfaces or coming into direct contact with infected individuals. Symptoms of HMPV include fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, and cough.