HMPV virus causes a dangerous epidemic in China and spreads in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that HMPV virus is one of the causes of respiratory infections in children in 2023 and 2024 locally.
Recently, the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) spoke up about information from a number of foreign news sites related to the ongoing Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) epidemic in China causing pneumonia in people.
This virus is considered highly contagious with symptoms similar to seasonal flu or Covid-19.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recorded an increase in respiratory diseases in the last week of 2024, including cases caused by influenza viruses, HMPV and RSV, mainly due to effects of cold winter weather.
The number of cases of respiratory diseases with flu-like symptoms is currently lower than the same period in 2023. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that these diseases are normal phenomena, not serious medical conditions.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) does not assess the HMPV virus situation in China as a special problem, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health is still coordinating with WHO and Chinese health authorities to update and provide information. trust to avoid unnecessary worries in the community. .
On January 7, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health announced that by 2024, the infectious disease surveillance system will record from 16,000 to 18,000 cases of respiratory infections each month in the first 8 months of the year. increased. lightly.
Although respiratory diseases tend to increase, the situation in hospitals is currently stable, with no unusual increase in the number of cases or severe cases recorded.
According to data from the research program on the causes of community-acquired pneumonia, most patients are infected with common viruses and bacteria.
Test results of 103 patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia from July to December 2024 at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases show that HMPV virus accounts for a very small proportion, about 12.5% in children. me.
By the end of 2023, Ho Chi Minh City will record an increase in the incidence of respiratory infections in children, with many common viruses causing the disease.
To respond, the Department requested the City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) and medical facilities to closely monitor disease developments internationally.
In addition, the city will continue to implement domestic epidemiological surveillance activities, including monitoring the number of cases of respiratory infections and severe acute respiratory infections hospitalized, identifying pathogens, and monitoring related events to ensure timely and effective management.
