Gujarat’s first HMPV patient in ‘stable condition’ at Ahmedabad hospital

Ahmedabad: Amid reports of outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China, Gujarat on Monday reported its first confirmed case of the viral infection in a two-month-old infant from Dungarpur, Rajasthan. The patient is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city. The case, along with two cases reported from Bengaluru, accounted for three confirmed cases of HMPV in the country on Monday. All three patients are under the age of one year.

Dr Bhavin Solanki, medical officer of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), told mediapersons on Monday that the samples taken from the two-month-old baby, who has been admitted to the private hospital in the Chandkheda area of the city, returned positive results for HMPV infection.

"The infection was detected on Dec 26, but we learned about it only today as the private hospital reported it late. The patient has been kept in isolation," Dr Solanki said on Monday.

The infant was admitted with respiratory illness on Dec 24, the officials said. "The infant was on a ventilator, but now her condition is stable," Dr Solanki added.

State health minister Rushikesh Patel issued a statement, appealing to the citizens to not panic and that adequate preparations have been made for the diagnosis and treatment of HMPV. The minister said that the virus was first identified in 2001, and is usually seen in children and elderly citizens, especially in winter. Its symptoms are similar to those of common cold and flu.

"A meeting was convened on Jan 4 with chief district health officers (CDHOs), civil hospital superintendents and other senior officers to assess the preparedness and make arrangements for the diagnosis and treatment of HMPV," said Patel. "From next week onwards, sample analysis for HMPV will be done in the state."

Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has issued a show-cause notice to Orange Neonatal and Paediatric Hospital for "withholding information about HMPV for 10 days." AMC has sought explanation from the hospital for the delay and asked why legal action should not be initiated for the delay.

At the national level, a meeting of the joint monitoring group (JMG) was held under the chairmanship of the directorate general of health services (DGHS) on Saturday amid reports of rising cases of respiratory illnesses in China in the past few weeks. "It is not a new virus. There is no need to panic or go for tests on one's own. Let your doctor decide. It is more prevalent among infants as they were not exposed to the virus earlier," said Dr Abhay Shah, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist.