HMPV in China: Government in contact with WHO on respiratory diseases, says foreign ministry

Chinese foreign ministry said it had maintained close communication with the World Health Organization on respiratory diseases. File
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday (January 10, 2025) that it had maintained close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) on respiratory diseases, when asked about cases of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China.

The Chinese Government takes the health of its people and that of foreign nationals in China seriously, but the HMPV is not a new virus and has been circulating in humans for more than 60 years, Guo Jiakun, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular news conference.

In its latest report, China’s Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said HMPV cases remained at high levels.