The estimated incubation period is 3 to 6 days, and the median duration of illness can vary depending upon severity but is similar to other respiratory infections caused by viruses.

Secretions from coughing and sneezing.

Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands.

Touching objects or surfaces that have the viruses on them then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes.

The peak age of hospitalization for infants with hMPV occurs between 6–12 months of age, slightly older than the peak of RSV, which is around 2–3 months.

The clinical features and severity of HMPV are similar to those of RSV.

hMPV is associated with 5% to 40% of respiratory tract infections in hospitalized and outpatient children

No vaccines or antivirals are available.

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms.

Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.

RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States.

People infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days and may become contagious a day or two before they start showing signs of illness. However, some infants, and people with weakened immune systems, can continue to spread the virus even after they stop showing symptoms, for as long as 4 weeks.

RSV can survive for many hours on hard surfaces such as tables and crib rails. It typically lives on soft surfaces such as tissues and hands for shorter amounts of time.

(Reference: Graphs pertaining to RSV seasonality in Belgium have been sourced from Sciensano.)