Citizens urged to stay at home as hMPV cases soar in UK and Ireland. Credit: Polina Tankilevitch, Pexels.

The hMPV virus, which has rocked northern parts of China, is spreading within the UK this winter with Ireland being forced to take immediate action, amid a surging number of flu incidences also causing issues as temperatures plummet.

HMPV has been widely reported for decades, and it is not a new health threat. But, after China was required to take emergency measures had spread rapidly throughout its northern provinces, questions are being raised as to how common the illness is in the UK and Ireland.
Images and stories coming from Beijing showed hospitals overcrowded, with patients donning masks amid a rise to prominence of this ‘mystery’ disease. Data has revealed that the virus already made its way to the UK by the time China had its crisis however.
HMPV cases rising with Ireland unable to monitor its rates due to faulty system
According to latest statistics released from the UKs Health and Security Agency, cases of hMPV, scientifically known as Human Metapneumovirus, are on the rise. “Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) positivity increased to 4.9%, with the highest positivity in those aged 80 years or over at 7.3%.”, the agency reported.

Across Ireland, close monitoring of the virus and its spread throughout the country was maintained as part of a national surveillance protocol, but it was scrapped in October last year due to concerns about its accuracy.