Amid recent cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), Dr Meenu Singh, Director of AIIMS Rishikesh on Wednesday reassured the public that the virus, which primarily affects children under five, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, is "not a new threat."

Speaking to ANI, Dr Singh emphasized that the virus, while contagious, typically poses "minimal risk" in the general population.

"HMPV is a respiratory virus which usually affects kids under the age of five, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. This is not a new virus...It usually affects during winter and occurs alongside RSV. If a child has symptoms of acute respiratory infection like a cold, cough, or shortness of breath, then the child needs to be assessed immediately. Antibiotics don't help treat this virus," she said.

"We need not be worried about HMPV as it has been in circulation in India for a long time. Only premature kids with low birth weight may suffer serious illness due to this virus," the doctor added.

A suspected case of HMPV infection has been reported in Himatnagar city of Gujarat's Sabarkantha district, officials said Wednesday.

The blood sample of the patient - an eight-year-old boy, who is currently on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital - has been sent to a government hospital for confirmation, they said.

"The case is under screening. A sample has been sent to a government lab for confirmation, and the result is awaited," Sabarkantha district collector Ratankanvar Gadhavicharan said.

The boy tested positive in the test of a private laboratory, but the health authorities want to double check and have sent his sample to a government lab for confirmation, doctors at the private hospital said.

"The patient, who was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning, showed signs of severe pneumonia after which his blood sample was sent for examination to a private laboratory which confirmed that he was infected with HMPV," Dr Imtiaz Memon of Baby Care Hospital said.

Greece has confirmed its first case of HMPV in a 71-year-old man, the national news agency AMNA reported on Wednesday.

The patient, who had pneumonia and underlying health conditions, is in intensive care in Thessaloniki, a northern port city. The National Public Health Organisation has advised medical staff to follow Covid-19 protocols and maintain strict hygiene measures.

Gkikas Magiorkinis, associate professor of epidemiology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, reassured the public, saying there is no need to panic as HMPV is a known virus that has circulated for decades and is not considered highly dangerous, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Tuesday, the Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin had announced that the country has detected infections of the respiratory virus HMPV, but assured the public that the disease is not dangerous.

Puducherry Lt Governor K Kailashnathan on Wednesday reviewed the preparedness of the health department to tackle the HMPV disease.

A release from the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services of Puducherry stated that the high-level meeting was convened to assess the health department's readiness in light of recent reports of HMPV spread in China and a few cases in India.

The release mentioned that officials from the health department and other departments briefed the Lieutenant Governor on the precautionary steps needed to prevent the spread of the virus.

The public was advised not to panic as health systems and surveillance networks are in place in Puducherry to address any potential health emergencies effectively.

The release further stated, "There is no reason to worry, as there has been no sudden rise in respiratory cases in the union territory. However, the territorial administration, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is closely monitoring the situation."

It was also stated that the existing laboratory testing facilities and treatment centres are fully prepared to handle any cases of the virus in the union territory.

The Bihar government has taken precautionary measures to address the potential spread of the virus after over five cases of HMPV have been reported in the country.

Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey has directed authorities to ensure preparedness, issuing guidelines and setting up measures across health institutions in the state.

The Bihar Health Department has instructed hospitals to establish flu desks and prepare for RT-PCR testing to detect the virus.

Additional guidelines have been issued for the monitoring and management of HMPV, a respiratory infection with symptoms similar to Covid-19.

Mr Pandey also directed authorities to regularly monitor patients and daily report of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and severe respiratory infections.

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh reassured the public that there is no need to panic over the HMPV infection, saying that it is not the coronavirus but a common virus with mild symptoms such as fever, cough, and cold.

In a video statement, Singh said that no cases have been reported in Punjab yet, and the state is closely following the guidelines issued by the Government of India. "We are fully prepared. I would like to assure the people that this is not the coronavirus, but just a common flu virus. There is no major risk involved. It will cause symptoms like fever, cough, cold, etc., but these will subside on their own. There's no need to panic. So far, there has been no case reported in Punjab," he said.

"We are in touch with the Government of India, and all guidelines are being followed. Children and the elderly should take extra precautions. Those who are unwell should make sure to wear a mask when going outside," he added.

Mock drills have been conducted at various hospitals across Manipur to assess their preparedness to combat an outbreak of HMPV, an official statement said on Wednesday.

No cases have been reported in the state so far and there was no need to panic, it said. "All district surveillance units are on alert for any unusual clustering of ILI/ SARI cases," the statement said.

It said the suspected cases must be reported to the district health authorities for necessary action.

Responding to the concerns triggered by the detection of HMPV cases in the country, the Jammu and Kashmir health department has set up a specialised ICU ward in Jammu to address any potential outbreak of the disease.

"We have prepared a special ICU ward to handle any eventuality. God forbid if a pandemic occurs, we are ready," Dr Hamid Zargar, medical superintendent of Gandhinagar government hospital, told PTI.

"The centrally-heated ward has eight beds supported by ventilators and 24x7 oxygen supply," he added.

Doctors have assured the public that there is no need to panic, emphasising that HMPV is not a new pathogen and it is not causing a widespread outbreak.

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) spreads through respiratory droplets, direct contact with contaminated surfaces or close interaction with a person who is infected. 

Read on as we share what factors might increase your risk of HMPV and how to prevent it.

Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari said the state has been unaffected by the human metapneumovirus infection, and there is no need to panic over the detection of such cases in other parts of the country. Ansari said he is closely monitoring the situation.

"The infection of HMPV has been reported in parts of the country but there is no impact in Jharkhand. I have been closely monitoring the situation. There is no need to panic as no cases of the HMPV infection have so far been reported in the state," Ansari told reporters at Congress headquarters.

A six-month-old girl in Mumbai became the eight case of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in the country and the third in Maharashtra. The infant was admitted to the hospital on January 1 with severe cough, chest tightness and oxygen levels dropping to 84%. She was discharged after five days.

Earlier, two cases were detected in Maharashtra's Nagpur, involving a seven-year-old and 13-year-old. The other cases were from Karnataka (2), Gujarat (1), Tamil Nadu (2). This takes the total HMPV cases in the country to eight.

In a meeting held amid reports of a surge in HMPV cases in China, the Centre has advised states to step up surveillance for respiratory illnesses including ILI and SARI, and spread awareness about the prevention of transmission of HMPV.

Former chief scientist at World Health Organization Soumya Swaminathan told NDTV that there is no correlation between HMPV and Covid, adding that the numbers being tracked are "meaningless". She added that wearing a mask would be a good practice.

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a globally recognised respiratory virus. It is one of the many respiratory viruses that can cause infections in people of all ages, particularly during the winter and early spring months. The virus infection is usually a mild and self-limiting condition and most patients recover on their own.