Ahmedabad: An eight-year-old boy in Gujarat’s Himatnagar has tested positive for Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), raising the country’s tally to nine confirmed cases. The boy, currently on ventilator support, is receiving necessary medical care, district health officials reported on Thursday.

The Gujarat government issued an advisory asking people to cover their face while sneezing, avoid going to crowded places, keep distance from flu-infected persons, get adequate sleep and drink water as much as possible and contact a doctor for any respiratory issues.

While the Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra governments assured that there was no cause for alarm, the Delhi government directed all hospitals in the capital to remain fully prepared to manage a potential surge in respiratory illnesses.

Following two confirmed HMPV cases in Bengaluru, a third suspected case has emerged in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. A two-month-old baby at a private hospital reportedly tested positive for the virus, according to local media sources.

An eight-month-old baby in Bengaluru is suspected to have been infected with Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), official sources said, PTI reported. The case was detected at a private hospital in the city,

India has confirmed three cases of HMPV, however, health officials have made repeated appeals to the public to not panic, emphasising that it is not a new pathogen and is like a regular flu.