hantavirus

American  

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

noun

• hantaviruses
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hantaviruses
  plural

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

See Examples For:

hantavirus hantaviruses

The deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, declared over on Thursday, also shows "danger can emerge from anywhere, at any time, in ways we don't always expect".

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

What is hantavirus and how does it spread?

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

In North and South America, including the Andes virus that has recently been in the news, infections can lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered an American passenger exposed to hantavirus on a cruise ship to remain in quarantine Monday against her will and despite expert advice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

Five California residents were exposed to a strain of the hantavirus, known as Andes virus, that spread on a Dutch cruise ship and killed three people.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses are more commonly associated with hemorrhagic fever and kidney dysfunction.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026

As hantaviruses are carried by rodents, infections in humans tend to occur in places where people and rodents co-exist.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

With other hantaviruses, infections occur when a person is exposed to or inhales the dried droppings, urine or saliva of infected rodents.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

The outbreak has sparked investors’ interest in other companies that have conducted research into hantaviruses.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

Even before this outbreak started, Moderna did some research on hantaviruses in collaboration with the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026