An eight-year-old boy from Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district has tested positive for human metapneumovirus (HMPV), marking the third confirmed case in the state, officials reported on Friday.

The child, part of a farm laborer family in Prantij taluka, was initially diagnosed with HMPV by a private lab. However, health authorities sent his samples to a government laboratory for confirmation.

“The government lab has now confirmed the boy’s infection. He is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Himmatnagar and is currently in stable condition,” stated Sabarkantha District Collector Ratankanvar Gadhavicharan.

Doctors revealed that the boy is on a ventilator as part of his treatment.

Gujarat reported its first HMPV case on January 6, involving a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan who was treated and discharged from a local hospital. On Thursday, an 80-year-old man from Ahmedabad, suffering from asthma, tested positive for HMPV and is receiving treatment at a private hospital.

HMPV, first identified in 2001, belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family, closely related to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). It spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, as well as by direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.

Symptoms of HMPV include fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, and coughing. While the infection often causes mild respiratory symptoms, it can be severe for individuals with preexisting conditions or compromised immune systems.