Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has confirmed the detection of a single case of Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) in Ghana.
While briefing Parliament on the ongoing cholera and meningitis outbreaks, Akandoh explained that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) started testing for hMPV in January 2025 after noticing a rise in respiratory cases in China and other temperate countries in December 2024.
“In response to a recent increase in respiratory cases in China and some temperate countries in December 2024, as part of our routine surveillance, we commenced testing for Human Metapneumovirus this year in January 2025,” he stated.
According to him, the virus was detected in an elderly adult from a pool of 90 tested samples.
“So far, 90 samples have been selected for testing, and only one positive case has been detected for hMPV. This was detected from an elderly person,” he emphasized.
Despite the detection, the minister assured the public that the risk remains low, citing improvements in Ghana’s disease surveillance systems following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have a robust monitoring system in place for respiratory viruses, including hMPV. Any detected case will be quickly identified and managed to prevent further spread,” he added.
Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a respiratory virus that can cause cold-like symptoms, bronchitis, or pneumonia, particularly in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals.
Cholera Outbreak Update
Providing an update on the cholera outbreak, Akandoh reported that as of February 13, 2025, the disease had spread across multiple regions, with 6,145 recorded cases, 719 confirmed cases, and 49 deaths in the Greater Accra, Central, Western, Ashanti, and Eastern regions.
Despite these numbers, he noted some improvements in the situation.
“It is worth noting that the situation is improving with active cases now concentrated in the Central Region only,” he stated.
