The Ministry of Health in Singapore announced an increase in the number of cases of human pneumonia virus (HMPV) at the end of 2024, but this increase is considered consistent with previous years.
On Wednesday, the Singaporean newspaper, The Straits Times, quoted the Ministry of Health as saying that the rise in the number of infected cases, which usually occurs at the end of the year, is likely due to increased social gatherings and travel during the holiday period.
A Ministry of Health spokesman said, “The number of weekly cases of human pneumonia virus among samples of acute respiratory infections here in our community reached between 5.5% and 9% in December 2024, compared to between 0.8% and 9%.” During other periods of the year.
For its part, the World Health Organization said – yesterday, Tuesday – that the increase in cases of common respiratory diseases in China and elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere falls within the expected range for the winter season, with no unusual outbreaks reported.
Reports of an increase in human pneumonia virus cases in China made headlines around the world with reports of hospitals being overwhelmed with patients, bringing to mind the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic more than 5 years ago.
But the World Health Organization said – in a statement – that it is in contact with Chinese health officials, and has not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns there. The Chinese authorities also informed the United Nations organization that the health system is not burdened with risks, and no emergency measures have been launched.
The World Health Organization said that Chinese data up to December 29 showed that cases of human respiratory viruses, seasonal influenza, rhinovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus have all increased in the past weeks, especially in the northern parts of China. She added that influenza is the most common cause of illness currently.
The organization stated that “noticeable increases in cases of acute respiratory infections and the discovery of associated pathogens in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere over the past weeks are expected at this time of year, and are not unusual.”
HMBV usually causes cold-like symptoms for a few days, but in rare cases it may lead to hospitalization among the very young, the elderly, or those at risk. Unlike the virus that caused Covid-19, which was new, HMBV was first discovered in 2001, and scientists believe it has been circulating for a longer period.
Several other countries, including India and Britain, have reported a rise in HMBV cases this winter, as well as other respiratory infections, in line with seasonal trends that can sometimes strain hospitals.