{"id":345937,"date":"2026-03-14T13:11:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T13:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/345937\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T13:11:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T13:11:12","slug":"what-to-know-about-rising-cases-of-human-metapneumovirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/345937\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Know About Rising Cases of Human Metapneumovirus"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated3 min read<\/p>\n

Cases of a virus with no vaccine and no specific treatment are popping up across the country. It\u2019s called human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, and it’s on the rise nationwide, according to data from the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System<\/a> (NREVSS). WastewaterSCAN data<\/a>, which tracks pathogens in wastewater, also currently shows a \u201chigh concentration\u201d of HMPV, with clusters in New Jersey and California.<\/p>\n

It’s reasonable to be concerned about a virus without a vaccine or treatment, but infectious disease doctors advise caution rather than alarm. Here\u2019s why. <\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Amesh A. Adalja, MD,<\/a> is a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Thomas Russo, MD,<\/a> is a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York.<\/p>\n

What is human metapneumovirus?<\/p>\n

Human metapneumovirus is a virus that can cause upper and lower respiratory tract infections in people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC). The virus can infect anyone, but younger children, people with weakened immune systems, and older adults are the most vulnerable to getting sick with HMPV. <\/p>\n

It was first identified in the Netherlands in 2001<\/a> (but was found to have been circulating as early as the 1950s) and is in the same class of viruses as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“It’s a little bit more of a nuisance virus,” explains Thomas Russo, MD,<\/a> a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York. Meaning that, “it’s not as virulent” as things like the flu, COVID, or RSV. <\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

Symptoms of HMPV usually overlap with those of other respiratory viruses and can include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. More severe infections can lead to bronchitis, pneumonia, middle ear infections, bronchiolitis (an infection of the small airways), and asthma attacks. <\/p>\n

According to the NIH<\/a>, gastrointestinal symptoms can also occur with HMPV and be more severe in older adults with comorbidities or weakened immune systems.<\/p>\n

How does human metapneumovirus spread?<\/p>\n

Russo says that HMPV spreads similarly to other respiratory viruses. He explains that this means you can get the virus from close personal contact with someone who is sick, breathing in air that\u2019s been infected by someone with HMPV who coughed or sneezed, or touching objects that have the virus on them and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.<\/p>\n

Why are cases increasing?<\/p>\n

The increase in cases isn\u2019t shocking, according to infectious disease experts. \u201cHMPV cases increase every year\u2014it is a routine seasonal respiratory virus,\u201d says Amesh A. Adalja, MD,<\/a> a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. <\/p>\n

HMPV tends to peak in late winter and early spring, adds Russo. \u201cThis is pretty typical in terms of when we see cases,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

Adalja also notes that it’s more than likely you’ve already had HMPV growing up. “Infection is ubiquitous in childhood,” he says. <\/p>\n

What to do if you suspect you have HMPV<\/p>\n

While there are tests for human metapneumovirus, it\u2019s not something you can usually get at your PCP’s office. Instead, these tend to be used in diagnostic panels you might get at a hospital, Russo says. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s also no specific antiviral treatment for HMPV, explains Adalja. Russo says this means that doctors usually recommend supportive care, such as drinking plenty of water and getting rest. Basically, it’s a good idea to follow your usual flu\/cold protocol, stay home, and keep an eye on your symptoms in case they worsen. <\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

“Pay attention to the warning signs of developing a severe respiratory infection,” Russo says. If you have any symptoms like dizziness, blue lips, or confusion, it’s time to see a provider to make sure you’re getting enough oxygen. <\/p>\n

Beyond that, don’t let the fact that there’s no vaccine or antiviral treatment scare you too much\u2014there are many common respiratory viruses that don’t have a vaccine or specific treatment, like the common cold<\/p>\n

How to lower your risk of getting HMPV<\/p>\n

The same measures that help to protect you from other respiratory viruses also work against HMPV, Russo says. That means doing your best to avoid people who are obviously sick, practicing good hand hygiene, and avoiding touching your nose, mouth, and eyes. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re considered high risk for more severe forms of HMPV, Russo recommends avoiding crowded indoor settings. If you can’t avoid such settings, wearing a mask is a good idea. <\/p>\n

Just keep this in mind, per Adalja: \u201cThe vast majority of people have no issue with HMPV infection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men\u2019s Health, Women\u2019s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master\u2019s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"3 min read Cases of a virus with no vaccine and no specific treatment are popping up across…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":345938,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[464,1913,103,152066,61,60,43749,157858,140034],"class_list":["post-345937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-cold","tag-flu","tag-health","tag-human-metapneumovirus","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-rsv","tag-seasonal-respiratory-infections","tag-viral-infection"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}