Human metapneumovirus, also known as HPMV, is a virus that was discovered in 2001. It belongs to a family of viruses called paramyxoviruses, which are known to cause various common infections. Other examples of paramyxoviruses include parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), measles, and mumps.

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about metapneumovirus because cases of this virus have been increasing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found unusual reports, especially in spring, across the United States. Virus experts said that HPMV and RSV viruses could be due to the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns and masking. When we have low interactions with viruses, it helps our immune system become better at handling future exposures. Especially in schools, children gain fewer defenses to fight with virus, by continuous masking and social distancing.

Symptoms of Human Metapneumovirus

The symptoms of HPMV are similar to those of other respiratory illnesses. It usually affects the upper respiratory tract and causes symptoms like nasal congestion, cough, shortness of breath, and fever. Typically, these symptoms last for about three to seven days.

HPMV can be more dangerous for young children, older adults, and persons with weakened immune conditions. Sometimes, it can spread to the lower respiratory tract, causing more illnesses such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia. However, the duration of the virus is similar to other viruses, lasting around three to seven days.

Surveillance and Seasonality

Surveillance data from CDC’s National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) show that HMPV is most active in late winter and spring in temperate.

Transmission

HPMV spreads in the same way as other viruses. It can be transmitted through airborne particles when someone coughs or sneezes, through physical contact with an infected person, or by touching contaminated objects and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. It’s important to note that HPMV can even spread when people don’t have symptoms. Asymptomatic infections of HPMV are an example of a significant portion of infections.

HMPV is most likely spread from one infected person to others

• Discharge from coughing and sneezing

• personal contact like touching or shaking hands

• Touching the mouth, nose, or eyes after touching objects or surfaces that have the virus on them

In the United States, HMPV propagates in distinct annual seasons. HMPV circulation begins in the winter and continues until the spring or summer. HMPV, RSV, and influenza may co-occur during the respiratory virus season.

Prevention and treatment

There is currently no specific antiviral therapy and no vaccine to prevent HMPV. It may help prevent the spread of HMPV and other respiratory viruses by taking the following precautions: Medical care is helpful. Sometimes patients can help prevent the spread of HMPV and other respiratory viruses by following these actions:

• Avoid touching their nose, eyes, or mouth with uncleaned hands.

• Do not have contact with people who are sick.

Those with cold symptoms should

• Cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing

• Wash their hands frequently and properly

• Avoid sharing their cups and food with others

• Avoid kissing others

• Stay home if they are sick

-Cleaning contaminated surfaces such as doorknobs and shared toys can help stop the spread of HMPV.

Healthcare professionals may not routinely consider or test for HMPV because it is a newly recognized respiratory virus. When HMPV is most prevalent in the winter and spring, doctors should consider HMPV testing.

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for HPMV, and treatment options are limited to supportive care. The goal is to make the person feel better and breathing is OK while their body fights the virus. In severe cases where breathing becomes difficult, intensive care may be needed.
Unlike the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, HPMV has been around for a long time and is unlikely to become a pandemic.

Laboratory Diagnosis of Human Metapneumovirus

HMPV infection can usually be confirmed by

• Direct detection of viral genomes by polymerase chain reaction assays, and

How long does it take to recover from human metapneumovirus?

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) shares many symptoms with COVID-19 and RSV. In early March, about 20% of antigen tests and nearly 11% of PCR tests for HMPV came back positive in the US. The positive rate for PCR tests has increased by 36% compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers stayed high in April but started to go down in May.

As with colds and flu, positivity rates for HMPV tend to decrease during the warmer months. HMPV can affect people of all ages, but it can be serious for young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems. The symptoms include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. In some severe cases, it can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia.

After being exposed to HMPV, it takes about 3-6 days for symptoms to appear. The duration of the illness varies depending on the severity but is similar to other respiratory infections like colds.

Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment or vaccine for HMPV. The best way to prevent it is by practicing good hygiene, such as washing your hands regularly and covering your mouth when you cough.

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV)

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a common virus that causes respiratory illness, especially in infants. It has different genetic lineages, called A and B, which can further be divided into sublineages. To better understand the virus, we studied 130 complete genome sequences of HMPV from hospitalized patients with respiratory illness and partial sequences of specific genes from patients visiting general practitioners between 2005 and 2021 in the Netherlands.

Our analysis showed that HMPV still falls into the four sublineages identified in 2004 (A1, A2, B1, and B2). However, the A1 sublineage was no longer found in the Netherlands after 2006, while the others continued to evolve. Interestingly, we found no differences in the dominant sublineages between hospitalized patients and those who visited general practitioners. In both groups, the A2 sublineage with duplications in the attachment protein gene was the most commonly detected.

Studying the genetic diversity of HMPV through surveillance and whole-genome sequencing can provide valuable insights into the virus’s evolution and help us better understand its behavior.