Pernambuco registered the first cases of Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) in 2025 as released by the State Department of Health (SES-PE) this weekend.
The positive samples were from two children, one aged 1 year and 7 months and the other aged 3 years and 11 months, who live in Recife and Jaboatão dos Guararapes, in the metropolitan region. Both presented symptoms such as fever, cough, respiratory discomfort and diarrhea, but have already been discharged from hospital after treatment.
hMPV, a widely known respiratory virus, belongs to the same family as Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Although it generally causes mild symptoms, such as a common cold – cough, fever and nasal congestion – in more vulnerable people, such as children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals, the condition can progress to a severe form, leading to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
In Pernambuco, the circulation of hMPV is not new. Previous cases were recorded in past years, with peaks in 2016, when 15 cases were confirmed, and in 2022, with 27 records.
“In Brazil, the virus has been circulating for more than 20 years, being registered for the first time in 2004. In 2001, it had already been identified in the Netherlands. The State Department of Health (SES-PE) reinforces that, despite the increase in the number of cases identified in countries in the Northern Hemisphere, HMPV is not considered a virus of great concern in the scientific community. For now, there is no increase in cases that characterizes an epidemic or pandemic caused by this virus”, highlighted the executive secretary of Health Surveillance and Primary Care, Renan Freitas.
Even though there is no specific vaccine to prevent hMPV, the State Department of Health highlights the importance of keeping your vaccination record up to date, especially vaccines against flu and Covid-19. According to SES, the measure can help avoid complications and reduce the impacts of the co-circulation of different respiratory viruses.
How to prevent?
hMPV, first identified in the Netherlands in 2001, is responsible for upper respiratory infections, which are generally mild but can cause serious illness in certain groups.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends maintaining and strengthening non-pharmacological measures already known to the population, which help control the transmission of metapneumovirus: wearing a face protection mask; keep environments well ventilated; cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; wash your hands and avoid touching the eye, nose or mouth area. For people more vulnerable to respiratory diseases, such as young children, the elderly, comorbidities and immunosuppressed or immunosuppressed people, it is recommended to avoid crowds, especially in closed and/or poorly ventilated places.
The WHO also recommends that, in case of serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing, persistent fever or chest pain, patients seek medical attention.
Surveillance and monitoring
The situation is closely monitored by Brazilian health authorities, with the Ministry of Health maintaining constant communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) and health authorities in other countries, including China, where there has recently been a significant outbreak of hMPV.
This content was originally published in First cases of metapneumovirus in 2025 are confirmed in Pernambuco on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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