Rising cases of common respiratory illnesses in China and elsewhere around the Northern Hemisphere are within the range expected for winter, with no unusual outbreaks reported, the World Health Organization said. Reports of a surge of cases in China of human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a common respiratory infection, have drawn headlines worldwide, with reports of overwhelmed hospitals recalling the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic just over five years ago. However, the WHO said in a statement on Tuesday evening that it was in contact with Chinese health officials and had not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns there. The Chinese authorities have also informed the U.N. health agency that the health system is not overwhelmed and no emergency responses have been triggered. HMPV typically causes cold-like symptoms for a few days but can in rare cases lead to hospitalization among the very young, old or medically vulnerable. Unlike the virus that caused COVID-19, which was new, hMPV was first identified in 2001 and has likely been circulating for much longer, scientists said. A number of other countries, including India and the United Kingdom, have also reported rising cases of hMPV this winter, as well as other respiratory infections, in line with seasonal trends that can sometimes stretch hospitals.