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Health concerns are growing amid a recent uptick in cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), bird flu, and norovirus, per Newsweek.
With typical winter respiratory viruses, including influenza, COVID-19, and RSV, circulating, some Americans have expressed concern over more cases of other infectious diseases.
H5N1 is a strain of bird flu that is increasingly infecting birds, cattle, humans, and other species. According to the CDC, 66 people have tested positive for the virus since January 2024, 40 of which resulted from exposure to infected cattle.
There haven't been again cases of human-to-human transmission of the bird flu, but there is concern that the virus could mutate and become more transmissible between humans.
Reports of HMPV are also circulating in and outside of China. A spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Office in China said a rise in HMPV is "expected" for this time of the year.
"As expected for this time of year (the Northern Hemisphere winter), there is a month-over-month increase of acute respiratory infections, including seasonal influenza, RSV, and Human metapneumovirus (hMPV)," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Symptoms of HMPV include a cough, fever, and runny or stuffy nose. Those with weakened immune systems, young children, and older adults could be more susceptible to the disease progressing to pneumonia or bronchitis. There is currently no available vaccine or treatment for HMPV.
Norovirus cases are currently at a decade high for this time of year, according to the CDC. It's the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. With treatment, most people can recover from the disease within one to three days.
Overall preventive measures for the uptick in viruses include getting available vaccines, proper handwashing, disinfecting surfaces, and staying home if unwell.
"The tried and true infection prevention methods work. For seasonal respiratory viruses, vaccination, masking, hand hygiene, etc., is vital. For norovirus, washing your hands and routine cleaning/disinfection goes a long way, and if you're concerned about H5N1, educate yourself on risk factors, like not drinking raw milk and avoiding direct contact with wild birds and infected dairy cows," one expert told Newsweek.
For those concerned about the possibility of another pandemic, doctors told Newsweek that it's unlikely.
"Based on the available data at this time, I do not see the elements of an upcoming pandemic. There are not any data at this time to suggest that the public change from business as usual," Dr. Jatin Vyas, an infectious disease professor at Columbia University Medical School, said in a statement. "There is a need for enhanced vigilance among public health professionals to detect if conditions change that pose an increased risk to the general population."
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