PHNOM PENH, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodia's Ministry of Health (MoH) on Monday urged people to take precautions over human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in the cold season.
In its press statement, the MoH said the HMPV causes respiratory diseases with symptoms similar to flu, including fever, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, and sneezing.
"The virus can cause serious illness among infants, children, the elderly over 65 of age or people with weakened immune systems," it said.
HMPV was not a new virus as it was first detected in 2001 in the Netherlands, and Cambodia also detected the disease among children between 2007 and 2009, the MoH said.
"In Cambodia, because the weather is not very cold, this disease is not as severe as the flu, and most of the children have recovered," the MoH said.
It added that most of the cases were mild, but about six to 16 percent of the infected children could progress to bronchiolitis or pneumonia.
The virus spreads primarily through droplets or aerosols from coughing or sneezing, as well as close contact or exposure to contaminated environments.
"The incubation period ranges from three to six days," the MoH said.
The MoH also gave several recommendations to prevent the spread of HMPV and other respiratory illnesses.
Those include maintaining good hygiene, wearing masks in crowded places, maintaining social distance, washing hands frequently and avoiding crowded areas whenever possible, it said. ■
