India Intensifies HMPV Surveillance: Enhances Testing Labs and Year-Round Monitoring

Amid global concerns over the rising cases of HMPV in China, the Union Health Ministry has intensified its efforts to monitor and contain the spread of the virus in India.
To strengthen its preparedness, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will enhance the number of laboratories testing for HMPV and monitor trends throughout the year.
A Joint Monitoring Group meeting, convened by the Ministry, reassured the public that there is no cause for alarm. The meeting highlighted that existing surveillance systems for Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) are already in place through ICMR and Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) networks.
These systems have not detected any unusual surge in cases.