China virus warning as HMPV outbreak ‘threatens to unfold overseas’ confirms knowledgeable
Experts have warned the public that a virus surging in China could make its way overseas as it is ‘likely to spread’, with Brits now warned to brace for the HMPV virus
An expert has warned that a virus rampaging through China could hit “other parts of the world”, piling more pressure on the UK’s stretched health services this winter.
The Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which has seen a spike in cases in China recently, prompted the country’s Centre for Disease Control to issue a warning to take extra steps to curb its spread. This respiratory illness, with symptoms akin to the common cold and flu, comes at a time when the NHS is already bracing for a tough season with flu, Covid-19, and norovirus cases.
Sanjaya Senanayake, an Infectious Diseases Physician at the Australian National University School of Medicine and Psychology, cautioned that the virus’s spread to other regions is a real possibility.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: “It does cause a problem, and it is quite likely, as China is seeing a lot of it, that with all the global travel that we see, particularly at this time of year, it may be taken to other parts of the world.”
While there’s no immediate fear of a new pandemic, especially since HMPV didn’t jump from animals to humans like COVID-19 is believed to have done, Senanayake advised China to remain alert for signs of any emerging diseases.
Prof Senanayake has issued a stark warning, saying: “Throughout this outbreak China needs to keep gathering the data or to see which viruses and which bacteria are dominating, or whether something new is appearing.”
He also stressed the urgency of communication with global health authorities: “If they do see something unusual they need to let the World Health Organisation know ASAP.”
Despite the alarm, HMPV isn’t a newcomer on the scene. Identified in 2001, it’s believed to have been around for much longer based on antibody studies.
Jacqueline Stephens, Associate Professor in Public Health at Australia’s Flinders University, explained advancements in technology now allow for easier testing and tracking of the virus. She noted that while the spike in cases in the northern hemisphere is “concerning”, it aligns with the typical seasonal uptick in respiratory illnesses during the colder months.
People who were exposed to the virus in childhood may already have a certain degree of immunity. But that does not mean people can’t get reinfected. For most, this will feel like nothing more than a cold.
