An infectious disease doctor named the symptoms of metapneumovirus

On January 5, Georgy Vikulov, MD, Director of the Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Viral Infections, Head of the Herpes Center at Moscow State University, immunologist-allergologist, infectious disease specialist, told Izvestia who is most at risk of contracting metapneumovirus and what its incubation period is.

Among the symptoms of the disease, he singled out runny nose, cough, increased body temperature, fever, but not always pronounced, and damage to the upper and rarely lower respiratory tract.

The immunologist noted that this metapneumovirus infection is more severe in immunocompromised people, those with immunodeficiencies, those receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and pregnant women and young children.

"Now we see that the outbreak occurs predominantly in the population under 14 years of age, less frequently in adults, although this infection does not have a clear link with age," Vikulov said.

Speaking about the incubation period of the disease, the doctor noted that it is short - from 3 to 5 days.

"Rarely, when the variation can be from 4 to 13 days. But most often it is 3-5 days," he added.

It is noted that the symptoms appear after contact with the sick person, and the virus itself is transmitted from person to person.

The case of the virus: winter flu surge expected in late December

Swine and Hong Kong subtypes of infection are spreading in Russia

Earlier in the day, China's Office of Disease Control and Prevention, citing the results of respiratory sample tests that were conducted from December 23 to 29, 2024, reported an outbreak of human metapneumovirus in the country. It noted that human metapneumovirus is actively spreading throughout China and mainly children under 14 years of age are exposed to the disease. People living in the northern provinces of the country are most often infected.

Later it was reported that in Kazakhstan since October 1, 2024, identified 30 cases of metapneumovirus (HMPV). It was specified that the strains of this virus were detected together with other types of infections, which are particularly active during the seasonal acute respiratory viral infections and influenza.

Rospotrebnadzor, in turn, assured that experts are monitoring the epidemiological situation related to the increase in the number of metapneumovirus diseases in China.