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

British passengers and staff aboard a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak will be brought to a UK hospital site to isolate.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

The current outbreak on the MV Hondius is believed to be the first known hantavirus cluster on a cruise ship.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

A person with a hantavirus infection may experience symptoms anywhere from a week to eight weeks after exposure.

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