HMPV is raging across the United States and the death rate is as high as 43%!

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HMPV is raging across the United States and the death rate is as high as 43%!

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HMPV is raging across the United States and the death rate is as high as 43%!

After the COVID-19 and RSV, another new virus has begun to spread in the United States on a large scale.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s respiratory virus surveillance system shows that a barely known “deadly virus” — human metapneumovirus (HMPV) — has been ravaging intensive care units and pediatric hospitals in major U.S. hospitals since the spring .

Cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) have surged 36% from pre-pandemic levels , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Respiratory Virus Surveillance System . Hospital intensive care units are filled with vulnerable young children and the elderly.

The most worrying thing is that due to the lack of testing, patients infected with HMPV may not know what disease they have. There is also no specific drug or vaccine for the virus on the market.

In addition, its symptoms are very similar to the COVID-19 and flu, manifested as lower lung infection, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat and fever. The doctor’s treatment can only relieve the symptoms, but cannot cure the virus. It depends on the natural recovery of the human immune system.

This also explains to a certain extent why the COVID-19 and influenza A tests were all negative after someone had similar symptoms.

Because so little is known about this virus, the medical community also called HMPV an “underestimated viral threat.” In fact, HMPV is the second-leading “culprit” of respiratory infections in children, after RSV, according to John Williams, a pediatrician at the University of Pittsburgh.

A study published in The Lancet Global Health in 2020 estimated that in 2018, more than 14 million children under the age of 5 were infected with HMPV, of which more than 600,000 were hospitalized and more than 16,000 died.

A study published by the National Institutes of Health also showed that HMPV had a 43% mortality rate after 100 days of infection.

Leigh Davison, 59, contracted HMPV after attending a family gathering. Her symptoms were so severe that she couldn’t speak and struggled to make a phone call.

“I could only say a few words, coughing so hard that I almost spit it out every time,” Davidson said. Since then, she has been tested for the COVID-19 6 times in a row, all of which were negative, and was finally found to be HMPV.

This illness made her stay in the hospital for a month, suffering from severe bronchitis, and then gradually improved.

“It was the worst respiratory infection I’ve ever had in my life,” Davidson said.

We have to say that the virus HMPV hides too deeply! Remind everyone to pay attention to protection every day!

What is human metapneumovirus?

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a type of virus that primarily affects the respiratory system in humans.

It was first identified in the Netherlands in 2001 and is now recognized as a significant cause of respiratory infections, particularly in young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

HMPV belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family, which also includes other respiratory viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza viruses.

It is an enveloped, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. HMPV has two subgroups, A and B, which are further divided into multiple genetic lineages.

HMPV infections typically occur during the winter and early spring months, and the virus spreads through respiratory droplets generated by coughing, sneezing, or close contact with an infected individual.

It can cause a range of respiratory illnesses, including the common cold, bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lungs), pneumonia, and exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The symptoms of HMPV infection are similar to those of other respiratory viruses and may include cough, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, fever, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, particularly in vulnerable populations, it can lead to respiratory failure and require hospitalization.

Diagnosis of HMPV infection is usually done through molecular testing, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which detects the presence of viral genetic material in respiratory samples.

Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment available for HMPV infection. Management focuses on supportive care to alleviate symptoms and includes rest, hydration, fever reducers, and, if necessary, supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation for severe cases.

Prevention measures, such as frequent handwashing, covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and avoiding close contact with infected individuals, can help reduce the spread of HMPV.

It’s important to consult with healthcare professionals for a comprehensive and accurate understanding of human metapneumovirus, as they can provide the most up-to-date information and guidance regarding its prevention, diagnosis, and management.

How did the “mortality rate of 43% after 100 days of infection” circulated on the Internet come from?

This is a study published in 2013 by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital looking at mortality from lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV and HMPV.

However, the subjects of this study were not ordinary people, but patients who had undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Among them, 23 people were infected with HMPV and RSV respectively (below).

Source: PMC3752411

The median age of HMPV-infected patients was 58 years old, all of them were hematological tumor patients (8 patients with acute leukemia, 9 patients with lymphoma or multiple myeloma, and 4 patients with chronic myeloma, etc.), all of them had received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and belonged to the severely immunocompromised population .

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients often need pretreatment with strong chemotherapy or radiotherapy before transplantation, and anti-rejection therapy is required after transplantation, and the immune system of the whole body will be in a suppressed state for a long time.

In both the HMPV group and the RSV group, due to severe immunocompromised patients, the severity rate of patients in both groups was very high, the mechanical ventilation rate exceeded 30%, and the mortality rate was as high as 43% on the 100th day.

Virtually all children have been infected with HMPV by the age of 5 years

HMPV typically causes symptoms of the common cold in children, with symptoms lasting 2 to 5 days, according to the American Lung Association. 

The number of HMPV cases per year is difficult to estimate because most people with mild to moderate cold symptoms do not go to the hospital for testing and do not know what virus is causing it.

Therefore, the title circulated on the Internet is a typical case of spreading specific research results to the whole population. 

If a virus can cause widespread infection in children, and the case fatality rate for all children reaches 43%, the human species may have a fault.

HMPV has no vaccine so far , and it cannot be protected by vaccines.

Immunocompromised people, young children, and the elderly with underlying diseases are more likely to develop complications after infection.

It spreads in the same way as flu, COVID-19 and RSV, so personal protection can help reduce the risk of infection.

For children, since HMPV does not have specific antiviral drugs like many other viruses (such as RSV and adenovirus), if children have common cold symptoms, symptomatic treatment is still the main treatment. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief.

HMPV is raging across the United States and the death rate is as high as 43%!

(source:internet, reference only)

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Important Note: The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice.