Your patients can help prevent the spread of HMPV and other respiratory viruses by following these steps: Wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (see CDC’s Clean Hands Save Lives!). Avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Patients who have cold-like symptoms should cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing wash their hands frequently and correctly (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds) avoid sharing their cups and eating utensils with others refrain from kissing others stay at home when they are sick In addition, cleaning possible contaminated surfaces (such as doorknobs and shared toys) may potentially help stop the spread of HMPV. In healthcare settings, healthcare providers should follow CDC’s 2007 Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings.

Currently, there is no specific antiviral therapy to treat HMPV and no vaccine to prevent HMPV. Medical care is supportive.

Since HMPV is a recently recognized respiratory virus, healthcare professionals may not routinely consider or test for HMPV. However, healthcare professionals should consider HMPV testing during winter and spring, especially when HMPV is commonly circulating. Infection with HMPV can be confirmed usually by direct detection of viral genome by polymerase chain reaction assays, and direct detection of viral antigens in respiratory secretions using immunofluorescence or enzyme immunoassay.