HMPV was previously detected in Ho Chi Minh City.

Accordingly, HMPV has been recorded in Ho Chi Minh City, accounting for a low percentage (12.5% ​​in children) compared to other agents such as rhinovirus (44.6%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (41.1%), and influenza A (25%).

The infectious disease surveillance system in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024 recorded the number of respiratory infections fluctuating between 16,000 and 18,000 cases per month during the first eight months of the year, and increasing in the last three months.

Respiratory illnesses tend to increase when the weather turns cold; however, no unusual fluctuations in the number of cases or the severity of illness have been recorded at hospitals so far.

HMPV was previously detected in Ho Chi Minh City, affecting 12.5% ​​of children.

Regarding the causative agents, results from the community-acquired pneumonia study program, a collaboration between the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), the Tropical Diseases Hospital, Khanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital, the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang, and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases of Singapore (part of the PREPARE project), indicate that the causative agents remain common viruses and bacteria.

Specifically, test results from 103 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (including 56 children and 47 adults) hospitalized from July to December 2024 at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases showed that HMPV accounted for a small percentage (12.5% ​​in children) compared to other causes of community-acquired pneumonia.

The more common pathogens found in children include bacteria such as H. influenzae (71.4%), S. pneumoniae (42.9%), influenza A virus (25%), rhinovirus (44.6%), RSV (41.1%), ... The most common pathogens in adults are bacteria such as H. influenzae (42.6%), S. pneumoniae (27.7%), and influenza A virus (48.9%).

Furthermore, during the childhood respiratory infection outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of 2023, surveillance results also recorded a diverse range of common viral agents, with HMPV being detected at a rate of 15%.

However, the Department of Health advises people not to be complacent about potential developments. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has directed the City's Center for Disease Control (HCDC) and other health units to continue closely monitoring the global epidemic situation and to be ready to implement health quarantine activities at airports and seaports as directed by the Department of Preventive Medicine to detect and prevent the risk of disease spread (if any) early.

In addition, the units continue their domestic epidemiological surveillance activities. This includes monitoring the number of respiratory infections, the number of severe acute respiratory infections requiring hospitalization, monitoring the causative agents of respiratory infections, and monitoring events such as the detection of clusters of cases in schools, factories, and communities to take timely remedial measures.

HMPV is a virus belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, first discovered in 2001. HMPV is related to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and is one of the causative agents of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

This virus spreads from person to person through direct or indirect contact via contaminated surfaces, with the risk increasing significantly during the winter and early spring. Common symptoms include cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, fever, and in severe cases, can cause serious pneumonia.

Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for HMPV. Therefore, implementing preventive measures as recommended by the health sector is crucial.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/hmpv-tung-duoc-phat-hien-tai-tp-ho-chi-minh.html