A recent spike in viruses could see a number of illnesses and bugs return this summer, experts have warned.
As people head on their holidays in the summer months, there is an increased chance of catching a virus due to a large number of them being in circulation, warns the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite Covid cases being down to their lowest levels, along with hospitalisations, there are some viruses which will make a comeback this summer as more people interact and socialise with each other.
Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), which is a respiratory virus, is making a comeback and spreads usually through sneezing, coughing, or touching surfaces that contain infected droplets.
Experts don't know how many people it infects each year but there has been a dramatic rise in patients reporting symptoms of HMPV.
11 per cent of tested cases were positive for HMPV in the US in mid-March, which is 36 per cent higher than the pre-Covid average of seven per cent.
Due to a lack of testing, the number who get infected or die from HMPV each year is not known.
Dr. Buddy Creech, a paediatric infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee, told NBC most cases are mild but they involve wheezing and "lots of snot."
He said: "We've seen a ton of HMPV."
Human metapneumovirus
HMPV can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.
Symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath.
Clinical symptoms of HMPV infection may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia and are similar to other viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory infections.
It can spread through coughing, sneezing and close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands.
In addition, touching objects or surfaces that have the viruses on them and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes.
Although HMPV circulates in winter and can last until spring, it can circulate during the respiratory virus season.
Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is recommended to prevent catching the virus as well as avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
To help stop the spread, it is recommended patients stay at home for 4-6 days if they have cold-like symptoms.
There are no vaccines or drugs to treat HMPV.
Enteroviruses
Enteroviruses covers a whole range of viruses including hand, foot and mouth disease and the normal cold.
These are normally spread by coughing and sneezing and can cause a loss of appetite, rashes, fever and a sore throat.
They are normally often mild but in some cases can be severe, according to medics.
Enterovirus D68 is a polio-like condition in kids, called acute flaccid myelitis, and develops a strange weakness in arms and legs.
Medics are waiting to see if the virus resumes its old pattern by showing up every other year or increases this summer.
Covid
As the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer tracking Covid cases, it is difficult to know how fast or slow the disease is circulating.
However, in some areas of the country, thanks to wastewater testing, we know that New York is seeing high levels of Covid in the samples.
There could also be a new variant which could result in a new wave of sickness - especially as more people spend time in air condition areas due to the hot weather.
Jodie Guest, a professor of epidemiology at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, said: "Just like in the wintertime, anytime you're indoors together, and someone has it, it's pretty easily spreadable."
But thanks to the vaccine, hospitalisations have fallen constantly since the beginning of the year and in a majority of people, the virus is likely to be a mild sickness, according to the CDC.
Cruise bugs
After the Covid pandemic brought travelling to a standstill, there has been an increased desire to get back abroad but that's not without its risk, warn medics.
An increasing number of Americans holidaying could be infected with various travel bugs, which is why it's important to "exercise precaution" when travelling, medics have said.
Dr. Anthony K. Leung, an infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, told NBC: "Always remember that there's some unusual and unpredictable stuff out there. Exercise precaution."
Norovirus is one of the main bugs to look out as it can easily spread amongst passengers.
It is essential to wash your hands with sop and hot water for 20 seconds to eliminate the risks - otherwise norovirus can cause days of diarrhoea and vomiting.
'Lone star' Lyme disease
Cases of Lyme disease often spike in the summer and at least year there are 30,000 new cases in the US.
The southern tick "lone star" has recently arrived and is set to stay until early July, according to Department of Health epidemiologist Elizabeth Schiffman.
According to health officials the new tick, which is normally spotted in south-central and south-eastern states, is making an appearance in Minnesota, US, and is known to transmit diseases like ehrlichiosis.
It is similar to other ticks and produces flu-like symptoms with domestic pets also at risk.
The "lone star" doesn't carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, however, they can carry other pathogens that cause health problems.
The tick, which is brownish-red, is rounder than a blacklegged tick and is close in appearance to a wood tick.
They are normally transported by people or animals - with climate change a key reason for the ticks heading to Minnesota, according to health officials.
Mpox
The infections disease, which is usually transmitted through close physical contact, is "predicted to spike up a little bit over the summer", according to Dr Michael Saag, associate dean for global health at the University of Alabama.
There had been a recent uptick in cases in Chicago amid a number of Pride festivals and large groups coming together in recent months.
However, it is not seasonal and only spreads with the way people get together.
Medics have said it is imperative gay and bisexual men, who have accounted for a majority of the cases, get their Mpox vaccines as well as treatments.
