Wednesday, January 8, 2025 - The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Adekunle Salako, has reassured Nigerians not to panic over the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) as it is not a novel virus, urging the public to prioritize hygiene, especially during the current season linked to the virus.
Salako emphasized that HMPV has been identified in Nigeria as a cause of
lower respiratory tract infections and severe acute respiratory issues,
particularly among children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune
systems.
Speaking with The Nation, Salako confirmed that the
Federal Government, through agencies such as the Nigeria Centre for Disease
Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Port Health Services, has heightened
surveillance efforts to prevent the entry of the virus, particularly from regions
where it is spreading rapidly.
“This is to ensure that the entry of the respiratory infection suspected
to be caused by the HMPV being seen at a higher rate in some parts of China is
prevented. Measures, including quarantine and collection of samples from people
entering our country from China, have been put in place to detect any carrier
of HMPV. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria has significantly ramped up its
ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks as
validated by the last Joint External Evaluation conducted in 2023,” Salako
stated.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in a report quoted by The
Washington Post on Tuesday, January 7, reiterated that HMPV does not
currently pose a public health threat. The WHO clarified that the increased
circulation of respiratory viruses, including HMPV, in China, is consistent
with typical winter patterns and has not warranted emergency declarations.
A common respiratory virus, HMPV, has been spreading in parts of Asia,
including China, India, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan, according to Scientific
American. However, public health experts have emphasized that the reported
increase is consistent with normal seasonal patterns and should not cause
alarm.
Similarly, The New York Times reported on Monday that
the WHO has not expressed any significant concern. Dr. Margaret Harris, a
spokeswoman for the organization, noted in a statement that Chinese health
authorities’ reports showed a predictable seasonal rise in cases.
“As expected for this time of year, the Northern Hemisphere winter,
there is a month-over-month increase of acute respiratory infections, including
seasonal influenza, R.S.V., and human metapneumovirus,” Dr Harris stated via
email.
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