Antibiotics won't respond to HMPV as it's a viral disease: Dr Sandeep Nayar

As cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) continue to be reported from across the country, medical experts and senior government officials have urged the general public to be cautious and not panic.

- SURYA S PILLAI

Dr Sandeep Nayar, HOD, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergy and Sleep Disorders, BLK-Max Super Specialty Hospital, helps us decode the ailment.

"HMPV is a respiratory virus which was discovered in 2001 in the Netherlands. It belongs to the Pneumoviridae family along with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It is a common respiratory virus that causes infections such as the common cold. HMPV is seasonal, typically prevalent during winter and early spring, similar to respiratory syncytial virus and influenza," he tells The Statesman in an exclusive interview.

"It causes illnesses ranging from mild colds to severe lung infections such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis. While it can infect individuals of all ages, the ailment poses a particular threat to young children and elderly population," he says.

Nayar says children may experience severe symptoms, including acute breathlessness, wheezing, severe cough, high-grade fever and infants may stop feeding and even get dehydrated.