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CCNTV6
  • 10 months ago
Contradictory reports about the presence of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV).
The health minister says it's here, but he and another health official say there are no confirmed cases.
What seems certain, is that the relevant checks are underway.
Alicia Boucher tells us more.
Transcript
00:00Minister of Health Terence Dielsing outlines that news of China triggering a
00:04state of emergency amid a spread of the human matter pneumonia virus proved
00:09false. Let me give you the facts about the HMPV virus. The HMPV virus was first
00:17isolated in 2001. It is circulating around the world and in Trinidad and
00:25Tobago. So we have it here. Through CAFA we do have the capability to test for it.
00:33So far I have not heard of any local cases of HMPV. At this time no samples
00:40have been sent to CAFA to test for HMPV because according to the minister none
00:45have met the specifications. Asked what are the parameters for health officials
00:50to know which samples should be sent for that purpose, General Manager of
00:55Primary Care at the Northwest Regional Health Authority Dr. Lesley-Ann Roper
00:59says at this time the situation is one of monitoring. Well we're still
01:04monitoring this virus, this new virus. So we are working together with the
01:10epidemiologists and our doctors know that we are going to be looking keenly
01:15and we're going to be doing more testing because that's the only way to find out
01:19if it's here. But so far we have no evidence of that. Dyalting highlights a
01:23brief from CAFA indicating that there was a mixed pattern of respiratory
01:27activity in the Caribbean at the end of December 2024. Overall cases have
01:33slightly increased, though severe acute respiratory infection, called SARI, severe
01:40acute respiratory infection cases remain low. But CAFA references a rise in
01:47cases mainly due to influenza A. Dyalting notes that the more at-risk
01:52groups for influenza are almost the same for HMPV. There's a respiratory virus in
01:58the family with respiratory syncytial virus. It generally causes upper and
02:05lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially amongst children
02:12under five, older adults and those with weakened immune systems. As for the
02:18symptoms of HMPV. Symptoms include cough, fever, nasal congestion and shortness of
02:26breath which may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia, similar to other viruses
02:33that cause upper and lower respiratory infections. The estimated incubation
02:40period is three to six days but can extend to 14 days and the median
02:45duration of illness can vary depending upon severity but is similar to other
02:52viral respiratory infections. The country is in the flu season. Asked if the
02:58health care system is seeing any rise in respiratory illness requiring treatment
03:03with antibiotics compared to what is usually experienced around this time,
03:07Dr. Roper responds. So this time of year is usual to see a rise in cases so I have
03:15not seen anything exceptional. However there is expectation for a further
03:20increase over the carnival season. Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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