| Metapneumovirus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) structure and genome | |
Virus classification  | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Orthornavirae |
| Phylum: | Negarnaviricota |
| Class: | Monjiviricetes |
| Order: | Mononegavirales |
| Family: | Pneumoviridae |
| Genus: | Metapneumovirus |
| Species | |
| |
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV or hMPV) is a type of virus that has one strand of RNA and belongs to the Pneumoviridae family. It is very similar to another virus called Avian metapneumovirus (AMPV) group C. Scientists first found it in 2001 in the Netherlands by using a special method (RAP-PCR) to find unknown viruses in lab-grown cells.
By 2016, HMPV was the second most common virus (after respiratory syncytial virus, RSV) that caused lung and breathing problems in healthy children under 5 years old in a big clinic in the United States.
Most babies with HMPV go to the hospital when they are between 6 to 12 months old. This is a bit older than babies with RSV, who usually get very sick at 2 to 3 months. The symptoms and how bad HMPV is are much like RSV. HMPV also makes older adults sick. A big outbreak of HMPV happened in China at the end of 2024. In January 2025, the first cases of this virus were found in India.