Public concerns about human metapneumovirus: insights from Google search trends, X social networks, and web news mining to enhance public health communication

The respiratory virus known as human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is linked to seasonal outbreaks and primarily affects elderly people and young children. Infodemiology, which uses digital data sources, including social media, online news, and search trends, is a useful substitute for monitoring public concerns and risk perceptions because surveillance gaps and underreporting impede public health interventions despite their clinical value. To assess public search interest, we analyzed global search behavior between June 1, 2024, and June 1, 2025, and examined over 1.3 million tweets collected during the peak outbreak period from January to March 2025. Our findings show a sharp rise in public interest following official reports of HMPV outbreak in China, with simultaneous search peaks across both hemispheres regardless of season. Search activity expanded to 177 countries and revealed sustained interest in Australia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Regional differences in terminology and platform usage were also observed, with non-English-speaking countries favoring the abbreviation "HMPV" and English-speaking regions more often using the full term. Additionally, discrepancies between search activity and social media engagement in some countries point to distinct patterns of public information-seeking behavior. These results underscore the importance of adapting health communication strategies to local language norms and preferred digital platforms. They also highlight the need for real-time monitoring and proactive responses to misinformation. Together, search and social media data offer a valuable lens for understanding public sentiment and improving the reach, accuracy, and impact of global outbreak communication.