The first case of Human Metapneumovirus has been detected in Assam in a 10 month old child. His health is stable according to the doctors as he has been admitted under AMCH at Dibrugarh.

The new reported case has added up HMPV cases in India to 15 with the maximum detected in Gujarat, which is four. The remaining cases were reported by Rajasthan, which had one, and three other cases were reported on thursdays.

As per the PTI, Dhrubajyoti Bhuyan, AMCH superintendent said, “The child was admitted to the state-run hospital in cold related symptoms about four days back. ”  

As for Fridays confirmed cases of HMPV which was brought to light through the previous tests were conducted by ICMR-RMRC located at Lahowal.

As for Bhuyan, ICMR was regularly supplying the hospital with different samples which were influneza related and were developed into flu.

In December, Sassoon hospitals for Pune district reported over twelve cases of HMPV along with the district authorities, who averagely reported one every month. For those HMPV cases we do possess adequate medical care to deal with them.

HMPV infection is not concerning as it is a common virus, The doctors said.

ICMR- Regional Medical Research Centre, NE, Lahowal (Dibrugarh) Senior Scientis Biswajit Borkakoty said that Dibrugarh District is continuously recording cases of HMPV since the year 2014 and 110 of them have been registered till date.

"In fact, this is the first case of the year as every year its been found for one reason or the other and am happy to inform you we have been provided with a sample and it tested positive for HMPV," he further said.

As concern began to arise, the Center on Tuesday demanded states to examine the surveillance systems in place for the respiratory infection in India while assuring the general population not to panic at the rising number of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases.

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava held a consultative online meeting with the states and Union Territories and remarked states ought to improve monitoring and evaluation as well as report on influenza like illness (ILI) and this kind of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) alongside other relevant interventions.

The Health Secretary also urged the states to implement suitable strategies that diffusion the prevention of viral infection.