HMPV in Bengaluru: Karnataka govt says not 1st case in India

Bengaluru, Jan 6
The Karnataka government on Monday clarified that the two cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) detected in two babies -- aged three- and eight-month-old -- in Bengaluru, are not the first in India.

“We cannot call it the first case in the country. The virus already exists here. The individual may have been tested for this specific virus, and it has been detected, that’s all,” said Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, while speaking to the media, ahead of an emergency meeting on the matter.

“It is not proven that the case detected in Bengaluru is India’s first. That claim is not true. This is an existing virus, and a certain percentage of people are affected by it. It is not something new,” Rao further explained.

The minister clarified that the baby infected with the virus has no travel history and is from a local family.

“They have not traveled to China, Malaysia, or any other country. The outbreak in China is linked to a new variant of HMPV. We do not yet have full details, and the government is still gathering information. They may also be in the process of obtaining more details,” Rao said.

“That could be a new strain of HMPV. However, HMPV is a virus that has already been present in India for a long time. It causes common symptoms like cold, flu, and cough, which usually subside after a while. I do not think we should call this the first case,” he added.

He urged people “not to create unnecessary panic. This is an existing virus that comes and goes” while noting that “the situation in China is different, and it is being closely watched.”

The Minister informed of an emergency meeting being held to gather some new information and to decide on the next steps.

“The decision cannot be made prematurely. PCR testing has always been available, but we need to determine if it is necessary. We must assess whether this is a serious public health concern. Just because one case has been detected, we cannot go into panic mode. If we test everyone with cold symptoms, some virus or the other will likely be found,” Rao explained.

“I do not believe in unnecessary testing. We need to understand more about the new strain in China. Whether it is present here or not, I do not know. I do not want to blame anyone. It is better to exercise caution and follow the guidelines,” the minister stated.

Meanwhile, a virtual meeting was also held with the heads of all District medical colleges on Monday morning to discuss precautionary measures and other effective actions to address the situation.