Nagpur HMPV Cases: Unfounded Panic Amid Laboratory Testing

Two suspected Human Metapneumovirus cases in Nagpur, Maharashtra, raised concerns; however, officials confirmed the patients are in good health. Samples have been sent for further testing to AIIMS and NIV. District Collector Vipin Itankar assured the public there's no need for panic, with no confirmed cases in Nagpur.

Two suspected cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Nagpur, Maharashtra, have been reported, but both patients are reportedly doing well. Samples from the patients have been dispatched for further analysis at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

Despite media reports suggesting HMPV presence in Nagpur, District Collector Vipin Itankar clarified that two children, aged seven and 14, treated on an outpatient basis at a private hospital, have been marked as suspected, with samples now undergoing rigorous testing. The children were discharged in stable condition.

Itankar emphasized there is no current evidence of HMPV patients in Nagpur and reassured the public to remain calm. Meanwhile, five confirmed cases have been documented in other Indian states, namely Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.

(With inputs from agencies.)