Virologists report "reservoirs in Russia" of virus that broke out in China

ARI caused by metapneumovirus has been known for a long time and occurs in many countries, including RUSSIA. Metapneumovirus is considered a seasonal infection, the consequences are not as dangerous as from covid , virologists interviewed by RBC noted

There is nothing new in the reports of the outbreak of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in CHINA, metapneumoviruses themselves were discovered more than 20 years ago, and in Russia they cause respiratory infections every year, virologist, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, HEAD of the laboratory of bionanotechnology, microbiology and virology of the NSU Natural Sciences Department Sergei Netesov told RBC.

"Most likely, our country has had internal reservoirs of these viruses for a long time, which simply become active in the fall and winter, and disappear in the summer. <...> If we now have planes flying to China and from China to us, these viruses will get to us. And our planes fly not only to China, they fly to Europe, they fly to Africa, they still fly to America, and therefore external metapneumoviruses will inevitably get to us," he noted.

Netesov cited data from the A.A. Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, according to which the proportion of people infected with metapneumovirus in Russia increased from 0.1 to 0.3% in the last week of 2024. At the same time, the consequences are not as dangerous as those from CORONAVIRUS or influenza type A, the expert noted.

Netesov noted that the symptoms of the diseases are almost identical, they can be distinguished by laboratory diagnostics, but it is not necessary to do this, "since there are no specific treatment methods for these viruses yet, and there are no vaccines yet." He recommended that people from risk groups - 65 years and older, diabetics, people with a body mass index above 30, with serious chronic diseases - wear masks in public places and wash their hands more often after touching railings, door handles and elevator buttons.

Virologist, professor at Moscow State University, and DOCTOR of biological sciences Alexey Agranovsky agrees that “there is nothing new or threatening, at least according to current information,” since the acute respiratory disease caused by metapneumovirus has been known for a long time and is found in many countries. “ Children are most often affected by it . Pathogenicity is low, the symptoms are quite consistent with those typical for acute respiratory viral infections,” he told RBC.

Nevertheless, it is worth paying attention to the individual properties of the metapneumovirus strain that caused the outbreak in China, Agranovskiy believes: "Is it more pathogenic and easily spread than already known strains? Answers to these questions should be expected soon, but for now we are waiting for them."

Metapneumovirus is seasonal, and “the maximum is in winter,” Konstantin Chumakov, an adjunct professor at George Washington University and president of the consulting company NextGen Bio, told RBC. “It looks like the peak incidence rate in China is higher than usual this year. There can be no doubt that this virus is in Russia and other countries,” he is sure. According to Chumakov, it is mainly dangerous for children, the elderly, and people with complicating diseases; it is difficult to predict the incidence rate, but “you shouldn’t expect big surprises,” since the virus is not new, unlike SARS-CoV-2. 

Metapneumovirus was discovered in 2001. According to Eileen Schneider, an epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized with it in the US alone every year. In China, the outbreak was recorded in late December 2024.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, the virus is transmitted by airborne droplets. The infection can manifest itself in the form of a runny nose, cough, fever, those infected may experience breathing difficulties and other symptoms typical of respiratory diseases. The agency reported that metapneumovirus affects people of all age groups, but mainly children under five years of age are affected.

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