COVID-19 Infection or Vaccination Does Not Provide Cross-Protection Against Human Metapneumovirus Infection

Md Wahid  Murad; M M Rafin  Mahmud; Sakibul Satter  Shupto; Nazmul  Hasan; Nazmul  Ahsan

doi:10.3329/brc.v11i2.82636

Authors

Md Wahid Murad Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka – 1000, Bangladesh
M M Rafin Mahmud Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka – 1000, Bangladesh
Sakibul Satter Shupto Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka – 1000, Bangladesh
Nazmul Hasan Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka – 1000, Bangladesh
Nazmul Ahsan Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka – 1000, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/brc.v11i2.82636

Keywords:

HMPV, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Cross-Protection

Abstract

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are major respiratory pathogens. This study investigates whether prior SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination provides cross-protection against HMPV. Nucleotide sequences of HMPV, SARS-CoV-2, and mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech) were retrieved from the NCBI database. Multiple sequence alignment, BLAST analysis, sequence dot plot and phylogenetic tree construction were performed to assess genetic and structural similarities. Results revealed no significant sequence homology between SARS-CoV-2 genome, structural proteins, mRNA vaccine sequences, and HMPV. HMPV does not share any common linear peptide epitope with SARS-CoV-2. This indicates a complete lack of cross-immunity. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the distinct evolutionary divergence between these viruses. The resurgence of HMPV infections following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions further underscores the need for independent surveillance and vaccine development. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted immunization strategies against HMPV to mitigate future outbreaks.

References

Pneumonia [Online]. UNICEF. Available: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/pneumonia/ [Accessed 22-02-2025 2025].

2025. WHO COVID-19 dashboard [Online]. WHO Data: WHO Health Emergencies Programme. Available: https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/cases [Accessed 15-02-2025 2025].

AGCA, H., AKALIN, H., SAGLIK, I., HACIMUSTAFAOGLU, M., CELEBI, S. & ENER, B. 2021. Changing epidemiology of influenza and other respiratory viruses in the first year of COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 14, 1186-1190.

BOSSERT, B. & CONZELMANN, K.-K. 2002. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) nonstructural (NS) proteins as host range determinants: a chimeric bovine RSV with NS genes from human RSV is attenuated in interferon-competent bovine cells. Journal of Virology, 76, 4287-4293.

DAI, L. & GAO, G. F. 2021. Viral targets for vaccines against COVID-19. Nature Reviews Immunology, 21, 73-82.

ERKIHUN, M., AYELE, B., ASMARE, Z. & ENDALAMAW, K. 2024. Current Updates on Variants of SARS‐CoV‐2: Systematic Review. Health Science Reports, 7, e70166.

GARCÍA-GARCÍA, M. L., PÉREZ-ARENAS, E., PÉREZ-HERNANDEZ, P., FALCES-ROMERO, I., RUIZ, S., POZO, F., CASAS, I. & CALVO, C. 2023. Human metapneumovirus infections during COVID-19 pandemic, Spain. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 29, 850.

GROEN, K., VAN NIEUWKOOP, S., MEIJER, A., VAN DER VEER, B., VAN KAMPEN, J. J., FRAAIJ, P. L., FOUCHIER, R. A. & VAN DEN HOOGEN, B. G. 2023. Emergence and potential extinction of genetic lineages of human metapneumovirus between 2005 and 2021. Mbio, 14, e02280-22.

HULSWIT, R. J., DE HAAN, C. A. & BOSCH, B.-J. 2016. Coronavirus spike protein and tropism changes. Advances in virus research, 96, 29-57.

LAMERS, M. M. & HAAGMANS, B. L. 2022. SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Nature reviews microbiology, 20, 270-284.

LIU, P., XU, M., LU, L., ZHU, X., JIA, R., DONG, N., SU, L. & XU, J. 2025. Resurgence of common respiratory viruses and mycoplasma pneumoniae after ending the zero-COVID policy in Shanghai. Scientific Reports, 15, 1765.

MADEIRA, F., MADHUSOODANAN, N., LEE, J., EUSEBI, A., NIEWIELSKA, A., TIVEY, A. R., LOPEZ, R. & BUTCHER, S. 2024. The EMBL-EBI Job Dispatcher sequence analysis tools framework in 2024. Nucleic acids research, 52, W521-W525.

MASCELLINO, M. T., DI TIMOTEO, F., DE ANGELIS, M. & OLIVA, A. 2021. Overview of the main anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: mechanism of action, efficacy and safety. Infection and drug resistance, 3459-3476.

O'BRIEN, K. L., BAGGETT, H. C., BROOKS, W. A., FEIKIN, D. R., HAMMITT, L. L., HIGDON, M. M., HOWIE, S. R., KNOLL, M. D., KOTLOFF, K. L. & LEVINE, O. S. 2019. Causes of severe pneumonia requiring hospital admission in children without HIV infection from Africa and Asia: the PERCH multi-country case-control study. The Lancet, 394, 757-779.

OLIVEROS, J. C. 2007. VENNY. An interactive tool for comparing lists with Venn Diagrams. http://bioinfogp. cnb. csic. es/tools/venny/index. html.

PAVLIDIS, P. & NOBLE, W. S. 2003. Matrix2png: a utility for visualizing matrix data. Bioinformatics, 19, 295-296.

SHAFAGATI, N. & WILLIAMS, J. 2018. Human metapneumovirus-what we know now. F1000Research, 7, 135.

TAMURA, K., STECHER, G. & KUMAR, S. 2021. MEGA11: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 11. Molecular biology and evolution, 38, 3022-3027.

TOUZARD-ROMO, F., TAPÉ, C. & LONKS, J. R. 2020. Co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and human metapneumovirus. Rhode Island medical journal, 103.

VAN DEN HOOGEN, B. G., DE JONG, J. C., GROEN, J., KUIKEN, T., DE GROOT, R., FOUCHIER, R. A. & OSTERHAUS, A. D. 2001. A newly discovered human pneumovirus isolated from young children with respiratory tract disease. Nature medicine, 7, 719-724.

VERMA, M., KUMAR, A., KUMAR, S., MEHTA, R., SAH, R. & VERMA, A. 2025. Human Metapneumovirus–A Clickbait clickbait or a real pandemic Threat? Clinical Infection in Practice, 100410.

YOUSAFZAI, M. T., IBRAHIM, R., THOBANI, R., AZIZ, F. & ALI, A. 2018. Human metapneumovirus in hospitalized children less than 5 years of age in Pakistan. Journal of Medical Virology, 90, 1027-1032.