hantavirus

American  

[hahn-tuh-vahy-ruhs, han‑] / ˈhɑn təˌvaɪ rəs, ˈhæn‑ /

noun

plural

hantaviruses

1. any of several viruses of the family Bunyaviridae, spread chiefly by wild rodents, that cause acute respiratory illness, kidney failure, and other syndromes.

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hantavirus British  

/ ˈhæntəˌvaɪrəs /

noun

1. any one of a group of viruses that are transmitted to humans by rodents and cause disease of varying severity, ranging from a mild form of influenza to respiratory or kidney failure

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hantavirus Scientific  

/ hăn′tə-vī′rəs /

1. Any of a group of viruses of the genus Hantavirus, carried by rodents, that cause severe respiratory infections in humans and, in some cases, hemorrhaging, kidney disease, and death.

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Etymology

Origin of hantavirus

First recorded in 1975–80; after the Hantaan River in Korea, near which the virus first afflicted Westerners in the 1950s

Example Sentences

Five cases of hantavirus have so far been confirmed, including one of the three passengers who have died during a cruise on the Dutch vessel.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending staff to the Canary Islands to meet the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak that global health authorities are racing to contain.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

The vast majority of cases occur in China, with thousands of cases caused by Old World hantavirus strains occurring annually.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

Welcome to this weekend’s edition of the Surge, a politics newsletter that, in light of the hantavirus outbreak, sadly will be canceling all of our future vacations to rat-infested garbage dumps.

From Slate • May 9, 2026

Moderna shares surged nearly 16% amid a hantavirus outbreak, though analysts see no meaningful revenue opportunity.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026