A recent increase in cases of the human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in China has been misrepresented on social media as evidence of a new virus spreading in the country with some posts claiming it prompted China to declare a state of emergency.

Cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and other seasonal viruses are on the rise across the northern hemisphere in early 2025, according to the World Health Organization. While news reports and social media videos have caused concern about a potential HMPV outbreak in China,

As China continues to monitor an increase in cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), here's what you need to know about the illness.

China has detected the new mutated strain of the mpox virus, as the pathogen spreads to more geographies after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak in Africa a new global health emergency last year.

The World Health Organization has released a statement on the reported outbreak of human metapneumovirus in China and elsewhere.

China has not declared a state of emergency. PolitiFact checked multiple Chinese and U.S. government websites and found no public health emergency announcements. One of the respiratory viruses social media posts are spotlighting is human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, which was discovered in 2001. It causes coldlike symptoms and most cases are mild.

A rise in cases of human metapneumovirus in China is stoking fears of a new health crisis, though authorities and experts say prospects for a sequel to the COVID-19 pandemic are remote. The big picture: HMPV is similar to respiratory syncytial virus,

Rising cases of common respiratory illnesses in China and elsewhere around the Northern Hemisphere are within the range expected for winter, with no unusual outbreaks reported, the World Health Organization said.

THE country has detected the new mutated strain of the mpox virus, as the pathogen spreads to more geographies after the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak in Africa a new global health emergency last year.

BEIJING: China said on Thursday it had recorded five cases of a new mpox strain, but that the “outbreak has been effectively handled”. Mpox is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by animals but can also spread from person to person through close physical contact.

Reports that cases of a flu-like virus called HMPV are rising in China have sparked concern, but experts have dismissed fears that the situation is comparable to the beginnings of