HMPV virus is spreading in China - should we be concerned?

Health services around the world face pressure from rising numbers of winter respiratory virus cases

China is facing a surge in cases of human metapneumovirus. A spike in the northern provinces of China has led to a public health emergency. Reuters

Five years after the first recorded cases of Covid-19, China is facing a surge in the number of cases of another respiratory virus.

Identified as human metapneumovirus (HMPV), an increase in cases in northern provinces of China has led to a public health emergency, with children most vulnerable. The World Health Organisation has yet to issue global guidance, while government officials in Beijing said rising infections were a result of the winter season.

HMPV is not a new virus but causes similar symptoms to influenza and other respiratory viruses circulating at this time of year. It has been reported that emergency measures have been put in place in some hospitals in China to manage the spread of HMPV infections.

Cases have been reported in Hong Kong, while in India pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people have been advised to wear masks by Kerala Health Minister Veena George. The latest viral outbreak comes five years after the first cases of Covid-19 were reported around the world, that later evolved into a global pandemic claiming more than seven million lives.

Respiratory viruses usually spread more widely during winter, with vaccination campaigns for influenza introduced across the UAE in October to restrict the spread of infections similar to HMPV. In the UK, NHS data showed cases of flu increased during the Christmas and New Year period, with more than 5,000 patients in hospital in the first week of 2025 – three-and-a-half times higher than the same period in 2024.

A motorcyclist next to the Yangtze River in Wuhan just before the fifth anniversary of China confirming its first death from Covid-19. AFP

According to the NHS, there was also an average of 74 children with RSV in hospital every day in early January, up almost 50 per cent for the same period in 2023. A further 1,184 beds were occupied by patients with Covid-19 a day on average, UK health officials said.

“These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year, skyrocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate,” said Prof Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care. “On top of flu there is also continual pressure from Covid, while RSV and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year.”

What is HMPV and how is it transmitted?

The human metapneumovirus was identified in 2001 by scientists in the Netherlands, although it is believed to have been circulating globally for at least 50 years. Similar to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), HMPV can cause respiratory tract infections in patients of all ages, but children and the elderly are most vulnerable. The virus is passed on through close contact with those infected, or direct contact with their secretions. Symptoms usually begin three to five days after exposure.

What are the symptoms and how can they be treated?

Mild symptoms are similar to other respiratory viruses and include sore throat and fever, a cough, runny nose or nasal congestion. In more severe cases, breathing difficulties and pneumonia can develop. Treatment varies with the severity of symptoms, with medication to reduce fever, antihistamines and breathing treatments bringing effective relief.

When is HMPV passed on?

Cases usually develop in winter, and while there is limited data on reinfection rates it is understood a repeat infection results in milder symptoms. As with other respiratory infections like influenza or Covid-19, covering the mouth and nose when sneezing can prevent further infections, and regular hand washing.