The virus that sparked pandemic fears in China has infected thousands of Americans over the past year, according to federal data.
Weekly data from the CDC since January 2024 shows that approximately 28,000 Americans have been infected with human metapneumovirus (HPMV). HPMV is a previously little-known respiratory disease that has been called “the most important virus you’ve never heard of.”
Infections spiked in April 2024, with a peak week in which 1,666 positive test results were reported, representing 8% of all tests conducted that week.
The latest data from the CDC for the week ending Dec. 28 shows there were 260 positive tests, for a positivity rate of 2%.
Since Thanksgiving, the U.S. has reported an average of 200 to 350 positive cases each week, a number that health officials say is not unusual.
HMPV usually causes cold-like symptoms, but The virus outbreak in China has been blamed in part for overwhelming hospitals in provinces in northern China.
Although the virus has raised concerns of a pandemic, the incidence of other winter illnesses such as coronavirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains significantly high.
For comparison, more than 1 million Americans have visited the emergency room for RSV since October, and nearly 10 million have come down with the flu.
The CDC estimates that about 28,000 Americans have contracted the respiratory disease HMPV since this time last year. Surge in HMPV and other respiratory illnesses prompts some states to reinstate mask regulations (stock image)
HMPV first appeared in 2001 and typically causes cold symptoms such as cough, fever, and runny nose.
However, more severe symptoms can occur, such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia, in which patients experience shortness of breath, severe coughing, and wheezing.
The virus usually causes mild symptoms, so the exact mortality rate is unknown. But experts estimate that 10 to 30 percent of patients hospitalized with HMPV in the United States die.
Approximately 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized with HMPV each year in the United States.
Like the coronavirus, HMPV is spread through respiratory droplets that circulate through the air when a person coughs or sneezes.
Close personal contact, such as shaking hands or touching contaminated surfaces, can also spread the disease.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for HMPV.
Since the week of December 28, the HMPV test positivity rate was 1.9 percent, according to the latest available CDC data.
Of the approximately 13,800 total tests conducted that week, just under 300 people were confirmed to be infected.
The test positivity rate for the week ending Nov. 30 was 0.9, half that of the following month.
And at this time last year, the CDC recorded a test positivity rate of 1.2 percent.
According to CDC regional data (also from Dec. 28), the Midwest states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa had an average infection rate three times that of the United States. These states make up Region 7.
Midwest Surge: Region 7, which covers Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, has significantly higher rates of HMPV compared to the rest of the country.
This map shows how the CDC breaks down the weekly breakdown of respiratory infections into different regions of the United States.
Regions 1 and 2 had the lowest test positivity rate at 0.9 percent. These regions include northeastern states such as Maine, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
Region 1 has conducted 2,270 tests and Region 2 has conducted 1,855 tests.
While HMPV cases are increasing, other respiratory diseases and influenza are showing more significant spikes.
In China, the number of people infected with influenza is rapidly increasing, with one in three tests coming back positive. This brings the total number of new infections from December 29th to January 5th to just under 7,000.
But China’s CDC said Thursday that the flu epidemic is showing signs of slowing, while other respiratory illnesses continue to surge.
Northern states: The graph above shows the percentage of emergency department visits due to influenza in northern states by year.
Southern States: The graph above shows the percentage of emergency department visits due to influenza in Southern states by year.
Influenza and respiratory viruses are all on the rise in the United States.
According to the CDC, the level of respiratory disease activity in the United States is “high” and “high” or “very high” in the majority of states.
The highest level virus is Covid-19. Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus are at “moderate levels.”
However, emergency department visits for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have increased by a “very high number,” while emergency department visits for COVID-19 have increased, although at a “low rate.”
The states with the highest respiratory activity levels were Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida.
Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infections have hit new highs this season, with 19% and 13% of samples testing positive for these viruses in the week ending December 28, respectively.
Approximately 7% of the test results were positive for the new coronavirus.
The CDC estimates that from October 1 to December 14, 2024, there were 1.2 million physician visits, 60,000 hospitalizations, and 3,100 deaths due to RSV.
Experts warn that HMPV, which causes flu-like symptoms, can remain in the body for several days and can be easily passed on to others.
Regarding the new coronavirus infection, it is estimated that 4.9 million people have been infected, 1.1 million people have visited hospitals, 130,000 people have been hospitalized, and 15,000 people have died.
In the case of influenza, it is estimated that 9.3 million people were infected, 4.2 million people visited hospitals, 140,000 people were hospitalized, and 13,000 people died during the same period.
In the week ending December 28, the latest data available, hospital visits due to coronavirus accounted for 1.2%, up from less than 1% the previous month.
Respiratory syncytial virus accounted for 1%, up from 0.6% in the previous month, and influenza visits accounted for 5.2%, up significantly from just 1% in the week ending November 30th.
Hospitalizations for all respiratory viruses are also on the rise, jumping to 2% for coronavirus and respiratory syncytial virus and 4% for influenza at the end of December.
The number of deaths increased slightly, but it accounted for less than 1 percent of the overall mortality rate.
