A virus without a vaccine or treatment is hitting California. What you need to know

"A majority of Northern California communities have seen high concentrations of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, detected in their wastewater, according to data from the WastewaterScan Dashboard, a public database that monitors sewage to track the presence of infectious diseases. A Los Angeles Times data analysis found the communities of Merced in the San Joaquin Valley, and Novato and Sunnyvale in the San Francisco Bay Area have seen increases in HMPV levels in their wastewater between mid-December and the end of February."

"HMPV was first detected in 2001, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's transmitted by close contact with someone who is infected or by touching a contaminated surface, said Dr. Neha Nanda, chief of infectious diseases and hospital epidemiologist for Keck Medicine of USC. Like other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza, HMPV spreads and is more durable in colder temperatures, infectious-disease experts say."

"Human metapneumovirus cases commonly start showing up in January before peaking in March or April and then tailing off in June, said Dr. Jessica August, chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa. However, as was the case with many respiratory viruses, COVID disrupted that seasonal trend."

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory virus without a vaccine or specific treatment, is being detected in elevated levels in California wastewater, particularly in Northern California communities including Merced, Novato, and Sunnyvale. HMPV was first identified in 2001 and spreads through close contact or contaminated surfaces, similar to influenza. The virus typically follows a seasonal pattern, appearing in January and peaking in March or April before declining by June. COVID-19 disrupted this normal seasonal cycle. While HMPV has been detected in L.A. County at low to moderate levels, public health officials indicate the situation does not warrant alarm at this time.

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