The National Institute of Health (NIH) has said that the Human Metapanovirus (HMPV), which is similar to the Corona virus spreading in China, is already present in Pakistan, while the Pakistani government is keeping a close eye on the virus spreading rapidly in China.
A statement issued by the National Institute of Health in Islamabad said that the Human Metapanovirus has been present in Pakistan for the past two decades, and this virus was first recorded in Pakistan in 2001.
According to the NIH, 21 cases of HMPV were reported at PIMS Hospital in Islamabad in 2015.
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National Institute of Health officials said that the Pakistani government is keeping a close eye on the virus spreading rapidly in China and a meeting of the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has been convened on Tuesday to review the situation.
The statement issued by the NIH said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet issued any advisory regarding the human metapanovirus.
According to the National Institute of Health, medical experts believe that HMPV cases are frequently seen and that seasonal influenza, especially influenza A and B, is still present in Pakistan, of which several cases have been reported.
According to experts, the HMPV virus has been present worldwide for the past 60 years, but it was first diagnosed in 2000 and that the said virus spreads slowly.
According to the Chinese Broadcasting Corporation, while cases of the HMPV virus have been emerging rapidly across China since December 2024, cases of the said virus have also been emerging from the United States since April 2024.
