A case of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) has been detected in Bangladesh, confirmed by Dr. Ahmed Naushar Alam, head of the virology department at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). Along with HMPV, another bacterium was also identified in the individual, with further details to be disclosed later.

HMPV, which first emerged in China earlier this January and has since been reported in Japan, Malaysia, and India, is raising global concerns following the COVID-19 pandemic. Resembling influenza, the virus has already affected many, prompting health experts to warn that it could become as severe as COVID-19. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not issued any official warnings about HMPV yet.

HMPV, first identified in 2001, has existed in humans for over 60 years, making it neither novel nor as unprecedented as COVID-19. It primarily affects children under 14 and the elderly. In China, a significant number of patients have recently required hospitalization due to HMPV.

According to IEDCR Director Dr. Tahmina Shirin, HMPV poses no immediate cause for concern in Bangladesh, unlike the novel nature of COVID-19. Symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, cough, and shortness of breath can progress to severe conditions like bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, or ear infections. She emphasized that the virus behaves similarly to other respiratory viruses, resembling influenza in its symptoms and spread.