New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS): Cases of the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory illness, is declining in the northern provinces, said Chinese officials.

Assuring that HMPV is a decades-old virus, Wang Liping, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that the rise in case was due to better detection.

“At present, the rate of positive cases in human metapneumovirus detection is fluctuating, and the rate of positive cases in northern provinces is declining,” said Liping, during a press briefing by China’s National Health Commission.

“The rate of positive cases among patients aged 14 and below has started to decline," she added.

Liping noted the increase in recent years in the number of cases of the virus, first detected in the Netherlands in 2001, is due to better detection methods.

“The human metapneumovirus is not a new virus, and has been with humans for at least several decades," said Liping added.

Earlier, several photos and videos emerged on social media showing hospitals in China swamped with people amid rising cases of HMPV -- causing respiratory illness -- and raising serious concerns of another pandemic akin to Covid-19. The Chinese government has dismissed this as an annual winter occurrence.

“Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. Recently, the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration of China held a press conference to share information about the prevention and control of respiratory diseases in China during the wintertime,” said China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

“The diseases appear to be less severe and spread on a smaller scale compared with the previous year,” Ning said.

Meanwhile, India has recorded about 10 cases, majorly from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Assam. The majority of cases occurred in children between infants aged 3-month-old to 13 years.

HMPV was first discovered in 2001 and is part of the Pneumoviridae family along with the Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The virus can lead to upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages. Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are majorly affected.

Symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath.

Wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, and increasing immunity can help prevent the disease.