Rising cases of common respiratory illnesses in China and other parts of the northern hemisphere are within the range expected for winter, and no unusual outbreaks have been reported, the World Health Organization said.
Reports of a rise in cases in China of human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a common respiratory infection, have grabbed headlines around the world, and reports of overwhelmed hospitals are reminiscent of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic just over five years.
However, the WHO said in a statement late Tuesday that it was in contact with Chinese health officials and had not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns there. Chinese authorities have also informed the UN health agency that the health system is not saturated and no emergency responses have been activated.
The WHO said Chinese data up to December 29 showed that detections of hMPV, seasonal influenza, rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have increased in recent weeks, particularly in northern China. The flu is currently the most commonly reported cause of illness, he said.
Masked children, accompanied by adults, wait to be treated by medical staff at the pediatric department of a hospital in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, Jan. 6, 2025.
Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
“The observed increases in acute respiratory infections and detections of associated pathogens in many countries in the northern hemisphere in recent weeks are expected at this time of year and are not unusual,” the WHO added.
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HMPV usually causes cold-like symptoms for a few days, but in rare cases it can lead to hospitalization among very young, elderly or medically vulnerable people. Unlike the virus that caused COVID-19, which was new, hMPV was first identified in 2001 and has likely been circulating for much longer, the scientists said.
Several other countries, including India and the United Kingdom, have also reported an increase in hMPV cases this winter, as well as other respiratory infections, in line with seasonal trends that can sometimes strain hospitals.
“Almost all children will have at least one hMPV infection by the time they turn five,” said Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. Countries are also getting better at diagnosing the disease, he said, which may be a factor in rising rates.
“Overall, I don't think there is currently any sign of a more serious global problem,” he said.