KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should not be unduly worried about the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
“It should not be a cause for worry or anxiety. We have regarded this as not even a notifiable disease,” he told The Star on the sidelines of the Malaysia Economic Forum 2025 here yesterday.
However, the Health Minister said his ministry is not being complacent with HMPV.
“We are aware of the situation and have put in place various measures,” he said.
Dzulkefly said the ministry has recently issued an advisory on good health etiquette, urging the public not to let their guard down.
He echoed similar sentiments expressed by health authorities in other countries such as China and India that HMPV is a year-end seasonal occurrence.
He stressed that HMPV should not be likened to Covid-19, which was a totally different disease.
Asked if health authorities are monitoring the nation’s entry points such as airports, he said no, adding that they are monitoring it as a normal flu.
“So far, so good. However, we’re not taking it lightly,” he said.
This comes in the wake of concerns raised by health authorities in several countries over the possibility of a new variant of HMPV emerging following reports of a recent spike in cases in China.
Health officials in India are monitoring the situation closely and have said there is no cause for panic while the authorities in China noted that it is usual to see a rise in HMPV cases during the winter months.
HMPV is caused by a virus and results in flu-like symptoms.
