Officials in India have confirmed the country's first seven cases of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, which is reportedly surging in neighboring China.

A handful of cases of the Human Metapneumovirus have been confirmed in India but officials say there's no cause for alarm, according to multiple reports.

India confirmed its first cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections in children, with a total of seven cases reported as of Tuesday. The cases were reported in Bengaluru, Nagpur, Tamil Nadu

The virus accounts for 4-16% of acute respiratory infections globally, with cases usually peaking between November and May. While most adults have developed immunity through previous exposure, hMPV can cause more severe symptoms in infants encountering it for the first time and in people with weakened immune systems.

In recent weeks, worries grew when images surfaced showing hospitals with masked patients, prompting speculation about a new wave of respiratory diseases.

India has reported three positive cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) as China announces a current decline in cases in its northern regions. One case was detected in Gujarat, another in Assam, and the third in Puducherry.

A Chinese health official says the rate of infections with the flu-like human metapneumovirus in northern China is declining amid some international concern over a potential pandemic. Katherine Ward has this story and more in Health Matters for Jan.