Human metapneumovirus has no vaccine or specific treatment regimen, making it harder to prevent than its more well-known counterparts. (Henry Kofman / Daily Trojan file photo)
Every winter, like clockwork, respiratory viruses spread across the country: respiratory syncytial virus, commonly known as RSV, peaks first, between November and December, followed shortly thereafter by influenza, which typically peaks between December and January, according to data from the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System.
But another, lesser-known respiratory virus peaks in March and April and also causes cold-like symptoms: human metapneumovirus, also known as HMPV. Though HMPV levels are currently low in Los Angeles, counties across Northern California are seeing high levels of HMPV in their wastewater, according to WastewaterSCAN, an infectious disease monitoring program run by researchers from Stanford and Emory University…