Spike in year-end HMPV cases starting to subside: Janil Puthucheary

SINGAPORE – The year-end surge in cases of a respiratory virus that causes cold-like symptoms but has no vaccine has started to subside, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary.

He told Parliament on Feb 5 that the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has been prevalent globally, including in Asia, for many years and that sudden increases are common, especially during the colder months in temperate regions.

Some parts of Asia experienced significant upswings this winter.

There is currently no vaccine for HMPV, and the influenza vaccine does not provide protection against it, Dr Janil said.

He was replying to questions on HMPV posed by MPs Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC).

The rise in HMPV infections

in Singapore at the end of 2024 was consistent with previous years, the Health Ministry said in January.

The weekly HMPV cases among acute respiratory infection samples in the community in Singapore ranged from 5.5 per cent to 9 per cent in December 2024, compared with a range of 0.8 per cent to 9 per cent during other periods of the year.

This rise, typically seen at the year-end period, was likely due to increased social gatherings and holiday travel.

HMPV usually causes cold-like symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, runny nose and sore throat, which clear on their own in three to six days.

But it can lead to more serious conditions such as bronchitis or pneumonia, particularly in young children, adults over 65 and people who are immunocompromised.

Doctors said most people get HMPV before the age of five, so symptoms tend to be more severe in children as they have yet to build immunity against it.

While an HMPV infection is “self-limiting”, with sufferers getting better with or without specific treatment, younger children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications.

Since 2007, Singapore has tested for HMPV in certain individuals through nasal, throat and nasopharyngeal swabs. These tests are mainly for vulnerable individuals to rule out influenza, Covid-19 or mycoplasma and are quite expensive.

In December 2024, cases of HMPV drove spikes in respiratory illnesses in China, India and Malaysia, with

China experiencing a surge in cases

among children under 14.

The upward trend was seen mainly in northern provinces such as Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, which are colder and where viruses tend to survive longer.

But the World Health Organisation does not view HMPV in China as an emergency, saying that higher levels of respiratory illnesses, including HMPV, are usually expected at this time of year. It added that the rate of “influenza activity” was lower than in the same period in 2023.