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HMPV Cases In India: The Karnataka government has confirmed that no special action will be taken regarding the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) following the detection of two cases in Bengaluru this morning. The state's health ministry assured the public that while HMPV is present in India, there is no increase in influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) that would necessitate further concern.

Earlier today, Karnataka's health department reported the case of an eight-month-old baby who was diagnosed with HMPV at a private hospital in Bengaluru. However, the sample has not yet been tested at a government lab, and the results are still pending confirmation.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated that the samples would not be sent for genome sequencing to Pune's National Institute of Virology (NIV), as HMPV is a known virus. He assured there was no need for additional public health measures, speaking with CNN-News18.

"Surveillance carried out earlier has shown that nearly 1 per cent of cases have been HMPV, and fatalities have been negligible. So, there is no need to panic," he reassured.

Rao also mentioned that the state government had decided that the situation did not warrant specific monitoring at hospitals or airports. Therefore, no special guidelines would be issued for virus screening.

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"HMPV is not a notifiable disease; it will be recorded under ILI (influenza-like illnesses). There is no need to set up isolation wards, etc.," he added.

Interestingly, according to the Union health ministry, neither of the two HMPV patients had any history of international travel, which is often a concern with newly identified viruses.

Rao further stressed that there’s no reason to panic. "HMPV is not a new virus and is already present in the population. While reports may suggest this is India’s first case, that’s not accurate. A certain percentage of people are affected by it every year," he added.

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In contrast, cities like Delhi have issued advisories for preparedness as cases rise in China, while Maharashtra has enhanced surveillance to monitor for any potential outbreaks of the virus.