Jakarta (ANTARA) – While the number of cases of COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has decreased across the United States (US), cases of another respiratory viral infection, called human metapneumovirus (HMPV), have actually increased during the spring.
The percentage of HMPV positive tests jumped to 17.5 percent for antigen tests and 9.6 percent for PCR tests as of the end of March 2023, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In the four-year period before the pandemic broke out, the percentage of weekly positive tests for HMPV had never been recorded at more than 7.7 percent, according to the ABC report, citing CDC data.
Discovered in 2001, HMPV is included in the Pneumoviridae family with RSV. The wider use of molecular diagnostic testing has increased the identification and awareness of HMPV as an important cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, according to the CDC.
HMPV can cause upper and lower respiratory tract disease in people of all ages, especially among young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.
Monitoring data from the CDC’s National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System shows that the most active periods for HMPV are late winter and spring in temperate climates.
Symptoms often associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath, according to information on the CDC’s website.
2023-06-01 02:38:22
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