The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday that it had maintained close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO) on respiratory diseases, when asked about the rising cases of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China.

The WHO has downplayed concerns over a rise in HMPV cases, saying outbreaks are normal during winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

A top Civil Affairs Ministry official stressed new reforms must be rolled out over the next decade to be effective.

As China continues to monitor an increase in cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), here's what you need to know about the illness.

China's central bank said on Friday it has suspended treasury bond purchases, triggering a jump in yields and spurring speculation that the move was aimed at defending a falling currency.

China has detected the new mutated strain of the mpox virus, as the pathogen spreads to more geographies after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak in Africa a new global health emergency last year.

A Congolese health official administers a mpox vaccination to a Congolese Red Cross worker, a key step in efforts to contain an outbreak that has spread from its epicentre, at a hospital in Goma, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo October 5, 2024. PHOTO/REUTERS

Chinese government prioritizes health of citizens and foreigners, monitoring HMPV cases closely with WHO, according to foreign ministry.

This means that Chinese people have achieved the target level of health literacy that was set in the outline of Healthy China 2030 ahead of schedule. The Healthy China 2030 blueprint stipulates that this level should reach 30 percent by 2030.

The Chinese government takes the health of its people and that of foreign nationals in China seriously, but the HMPV is not a new virus and has been circulating in humans for more than 60 years, Guo Jiakun, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular news conference.

In fact, HMPV has been around for decades, and outbreaks wax and wane in the winter months. The virus has been found worldwide since at least 2001, when it was first detected in the Netherlands. There's no indication that it originated in China, and no evidence that the recent surge in cases presents a significant new risk to public health.