Health authorities on alert for new virus
No confirmed patients in Sri Lanka yet says Health Minister
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s health authorities are on high alert as the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory illness currently spreading in China, garners global attention. The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health said it was closely monitoring developments to ensure preparedness against the virus.
Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament on Thursday (9) that the Epidemiology Unit was keeping watch on 20 locations, but that no patients have been detected with the virus in Sri Lanka so far.
He said there was a suspected case, but tests had been negative. However, he noted that Sri Lanka had identified an HMPV patient before the current outbreak.
HMPV, while not a newly discovered virus, has raised concerns due to its recent outbreak in China, which has disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly. The virus, first identified in 2001, is known to cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. Experts suggest, however, that the virus has likely been present in human populations for far longer.
Medical experts have described HMPV as a seasonal virus that may circulate throughout the year, but that it is more prevalent in the winter months, just like other respiratory viruses.
Health officials in Sri Lanka have warned that the virus, like similar respiratory pathogens, could spread through respiratory droplets produced by coughing and sneezing. Children under five, people over 65, and those with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of severe illness.
-ENCL
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