This was a better season for respiratory illnesses in B.C. with positive test numbers down 43 per cent compared to the previous period, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).
During the 2024-25 season, the number of reported positive tests for respiratory viruses peaked at more than 3,500, compared to a high of 2,000 for 2025-26.
“The proportions of emergency department and primary care visits for respiratory illness remain at moderate levels,” said an April 2 BCCDC report.
Numbers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza B activity were “elevated” while influenza A and COVID-19 were “low” the report said.
Figures for human metapneumovirus (HMPV) were not included in the summary, but figures for all of Canada show they are rising.
According to the health-infobase.canada.ca website, the number of reported positive tests for HMPV more than doubled in the first few months of 2026.
As of March 21, out of 8,593 tests, 503 were positive for HMPV, about 5.9 per cent, up from Jan. 3 2026 when there were 163 positives for HMPV out of 14,091 tests, or 1.2 per cent.
In response to a Langley Advance Times query, the BCCDC issued a statement confirming HMPV numbers were up in the province, but stressing they were still within expected amounts.
“HMPV activity is currently elevated in B.C.,” the statement said. “However, current rates remain within expected seasonal levels when compared to recent and pre-pandemic seasons. Differences in which individuals get tested and how much testing is performed may also influence these numbers.”
It described HMPV as a virus that typically causes “mild upper respiratory infections, similar to other viruses that cause colds. HMPV rarely causes severe illness and infections are very common.”
Reports from the U.S. say there has been a surge in HMPV cases, especially in Northern California.