HMPV is a respiratory virus identified in 2001, affecting mainly young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. It causes sympto

Five years after the first cases of COVID-19, reports of hMPV, an obscure respiratory virus in China may understandably raise concerns.

The human metapneumovirus is reportedly surging in China, but should Americans be concerned? Here's what to know about HMPV symptoms and more.

While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV has circulated in humans for decades.

As cases of the HMPV virus continue to increase in the U.S. and in China, here's what you need to know about the virus.

In China, reports of HMPV infections have indeed been rising in recent weeks in the more northerly regions. But so have reports of all the other respiratory pathogens including seasonal flu, rhinovirus and RSV.

Plenty of viruses are having their strongest season for years. But experts have urged calm about HMPV, which is not a new disease — even if you've never heard about it.

While news reports and social media videos have caused concern about a potential HMPV outbreak in China, experts from the WHO, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies say the rise is not currently a cause for concern and within the normal range for the season.