Novato is one of the Northern California communities that have seen high concentrations of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, detected in local wastewater. A respiratory virus that doesn’t have a vaccine or a specific treatment regimen is spreading in some parts of California — but there’s no need to sound the alarm just yet, public health officials say. AdvertisementHMPV has also been detected in L.A. County, though at levels considered low to moderate at this point, data show. However, as was the case with many respiratory viruses, COVID disrupted that seasonal trend. Before the pandemic hit in 2020, Americans were regularly exposed to seasonal viruses like HMPV and developed a degree of natural immunity, August said.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 04, 2026 22:24 UTC