An expert pointed out the danger of metapneumovirus for children and the elderly

Metapneumovirus is dangerous for children and the elderly. Vitaly Zverev, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, scientific director of the I.I. Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, told the Parliamentary Gazette on January 10.

"This virus among all acute respiratory viruses is, according to some estimates, 0.1%, according to others - 1%, but it has always been, is and will be," he said, noting that the causative agent of metapneumovirus is always present among other viruses causing acute respiratory viruses.

The expert noted that metapneumovirus is dangerous for children under a year old and elderly people suffering from chronic diseases.

"There is no specific treatment for this virus and for other viruses that cause acute respiratory viral infections, with the exception of influenza. Apart from symptomatic treatment, nothing can be applied," Zverev informed.

At the same time, according to the head of the arbovirus department and the laboratory of biology and indication of arboviruses of the Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Alexander Butenko, one should not expect a pandemic from metapneumovirus, as there is still no exact number of confirmed cases.

What is metapneumovirus: what is dangerous, symptoms, how to treat

Earlier, on January 5, China's Office of Disease Control and Prevention, citing the results of respiratory samples that were analyzed from December 23 to 29, 2024, reported an outbreak of human metapneumovirus in the country. It noted that it is actively spreading throughout the territory of 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, Rospotrebnadzor reported that specialists are monitoring the epidemiological situation related to the increase in the number of metapneumovirus diseases in the PRC.

On the same day, Georgy Vikulov, candidate of medical sciences, director of the Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Viral Infections, head of the herpes center of the Moscow State University, immunologist-allergologist, infectious disease specialist, told Izvestia who is most exposed to the risk of infection with metapneumovirus and what is its incubation period.