What we know about the respiratory virus on the rise in the United States

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What we know about the respiratory virus on the rise

A respiratory virus recently affected several people in the United States and worried the country’s health authorities. What is this ? A new Covid? Should we fear it in France?

A not widely known respiratory virus affected many people UNITED STATES in March 2023. At this time 20% of antigen tests and 11% of PCR tests were positive for the virus, according to the observations of the National Respiratory Virus Surveillance System of the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control), i.e. a 36% increase compared to before Covid-19 highlighted CNN.

Cases of metapneumovirus in the United States © CDC

The name of this virus: human metapneumovirus

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a virus responsible for respiratory infections. He was discovered in 2001 by dutch researchers in children with unexplained respiratory infections. “It is not a new virus since it was already circulating in Holland in 1958” recalls an article published in 2009 in the NIH. hMPV infections usually occur in late winter and in early spring and mainly affects infants, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. It is classified in the genus Metapneumovirus, which constitutes with the genus Pneumovirus (respiratory syncytial virus), the subfamily of Paramyxovirinaein the family of Paramyxoviridae. These viruses can cause illnesses such as colds, flu, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia in humans. Human metapneumovirus is closely related to avian metapneumovirus C which affects the respiratory tract of birds and in particular of poultry such as chickens and turkeys.

It’s serious ? In France ?

According to Dr. Andreas Werner, president of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (Afpa) interviewed by TF1the increase in cases of metapneumovirus observed in the United States is Without gravity and linked to a “catching up on the immunological debt”after two years without viruses other than Covid. There has been no increase in cases in France “but It will come” according to the doctor who recalls that “cIn our country, the catch-up of the immunological debt mainly began with diseases such as hand-foot-mouth syndrome, angina, then the flu”.

After an incubation period of 3 to 6 days, THE metapneumovirus causes:

  • fever
  • a runny nose or nasal congestion
  • cough
  • wheezing and/or shortness of breath
  • throat pain or a hoarse voice

“Clinical symptoms of HMPV infection may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia and are similar to those of other viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory tract infections” further specifies the CDC. Among the other possible complications, we note otitis and diarrhea.

There is no no specific antiviral therapy to treat metapneumovirus, nor a vaccine to prevent it. “The virus is spread by droplets that are projected in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The infection can also be transmitted by direct contact with secretions from the nose or throat of an infected person“reminds theUniversity of Ottawa. Among the preventive measures:

► Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

► Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

► Avoid contact close with sick people.

► Cover your mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze

► Refrain from kissing others

► Stay at home when sick (isolation)

► Clean surfaces possibly contaminated (such as doorknobs and shared toys)


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