Rising cases of common respiratory illnesses in China and elsewhere around the Northern Hemisphere are within the range expected for winter, with no unusual outbreaks reported, the World Health Organization said.
Reports of a surge of cases in China of human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a common respiratory infection, have drawn headlines worldwide, with reports of overwhelmed hospitals recalling the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic just over five years ago.
However, the WHO said in a statement on Tuesday evening that it was in contact with Chinese health officials and had not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns there. The Chinese authorities have also informed the U.N. health agency that the health system is not overwhelmed and no emergency responses have been triggered.
The WHO said Chinese data up to Dec. 29 showed detections of hMPV, seasonal influenza, rhinovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have all increased in recent weeks, particularly in northern parts of China. Influenza is currently the most commonly reported cause of disease, it said.
“The observed increases in acute respiratory infections and associated pathogen detections in many countries in the Northern hemisphere in recent weeks is expected at this time of year and is not unusual,” the WHO added.
HMPV typically causes cold-like symptoms for a few days but can in rare cases lead to hospitalization among the very young, old or medically vulnerable. Unlike the virus that caused COVID-19, which was new, hMPV was first identified in 2001 and has likely been circulating for much longer, scientists said.
A number of other countries, including India and the United Kingdom, have also reported rising cases of hMPV this winter, as well as other respiratory infections, in line with seasonal trends that can sometimes stretch hospitals.
“Almost every child will have at least one infection with hMPV by their fifth birthday,” said Paul Hunter, a medicine professor at the University of East Anglia in the UK. Countries are also getting better at diagnosing the illness, he said, which may be a factor in increasing rates.
“Overall, I don’t think there is currently any sign of a more serious global issue,” he said.