Concerns have been raised recently about the rise in Human Metapneumovirus (HMpV) cases in northern China, five years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports of the virus spreading to neighboring countries, including India, have sparked fear in Bangladesh. A claim circulated on social media and news outlets that the first HMpV case in Bangladesh was detected in 2025. However, this claim is false.

Fact-Check

Investigations by the Rumor Scanner team reveal that HMpV was not identified in Bangladesh for the first time in 2025. According to research and analysis, the virus has been present in the country since at least 2001, with periodic detections over the years. An article published by the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) on January 8, 2025, quoted Dr. Tahmina Shirin, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control, and Research (IEDCR), stating that HMpV was first detected in Bangladesh in 2017. Since then, the virus has been identified sporadically, with no record of severe complications.

Dr. Nusrat Sultana, Associate Professor of Virology at Dhaka Medical College, provided additional insights through a social media post. She referenced a study conducted between August 2014 and July 2015 involving 200 children under five hospitalized with pneumonia symptoms. Nasopharyngeal swab tests revealed HMpV in 26 cases. The study, co-authored by Dr. Nusrat, was published in the international journal PLOS ONE. She emphasized that HMpV is a seasonal virus and advised against panic. The PLOS ONE study, titled "Bacterial and Viral Pathogen Spectra of Acute Respiratory Infections in Under-5 Children in Hospital Settings in Dhaka City," confirmed HMpV in 13% of the sampled cases. The findings were published on March 27, 2017.

Further evidence comes from a study published in October 2007 on the U.S. National Library of Medicine website. The study, "Human Metapneumovirus Infection among Children, Bangladesh," documented HMpV detections in 20 children during serological analyses conducted in Dhaka from December 2000 to December 2001. Public health expert Dr. Lelin Chowdhury reiterated that there is no cause for alarm regarding HMpV. He explained that the virus is a common and recurring cause of respiratory infections, particularly in children. A separate study led by Dr. W.A. Brooks of Johns Hopkins University, with support from the National Institute of Health and ICDDR,B, identified HMpV in 33.33% of respiratory cases in children under 13 in Dhaka in 2000-2001. Similar findings were reported in subsequent research between 2014 and 2016.

A review of these findings confirms that HMpV has been present in Bangladesh since at least 2001. The claim that 2025 marked the first detection of HMpV in the country is false. While the virus contributes to seasonal respiratory infections, particularly in children, there is no evidence of a recent alarming outbreak. Public health experts recommend caution but discourage unnecessary panic.

Original News Link: https://rumorscanner.com/fact-check/2025-hmpv-not-first-ever-case-in-bangladesh/134911