Metapneumovirus outbreak: see the full list of countries with reported cases

 As rates of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) have increased in China, other countries have begun reporting cases of the virus.

Although official health officials in China have not declared an outbreak of HMPV in the country, cases of the virus have increased dramatically in recent weeks, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to statistics from the Chinese agency, several flu-like illnesses are on the rise – as is expected during the colder months – led by influenza, with 30.2% of tests positive for respiratory illnesses, and HMPV in second place, with 6.2%. At a press conference, the Chinese CDC confirmed that cases of HMPV infection have increased among children under 14, especially in the northern provinces of the country.

Hong Kong also reported HMPV cases, but at low levels, lower than the same period last year.

As cases in China have risen, other countries have begun monitoring HMPV cases, including India: according to local media, three children have tested positive for HMPV, including a three-month-old baby, a three-month-old baby and a toddler. Health authorities in India have stated that the cases are not linked to the outbreak in China, nor are they indicative of a wider outbreak in India.

Malaysia has also seen an increase in the number of HMPV cases: according to local media, the country recorded 327 cases in 2024, 45% more than the previous year. However, the Malaysian Ministry of Health has not released this figure: in a recent statement, it did not specify HPMV, stressing that the agency was monitoring pathogens responsible for respiratory infections such as Covid-19 and influenza.

In Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Health reported cases of HMPV as part of an expected seasonal increase in respiratory illnesses, including influenza: the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control reported 30 cases of HMPV during the current influenza season, fewer than cases of influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), adenovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza and bocavirus.

In other countries, HMPV may well be circulating: the virus is known to cause illness during the colder months, including in the US, where it tends to peak during the winter and spring. Symptoms include cough, fever, stuffy or runny nose and shortness of breath, and can progress to bronchitis or pneumonia, when the airways in the lungs or the lungs themselves become inflamed.