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

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

Different hantavirus strains can cause different forms of illness.

From Science Daily • Jun. 22, 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

The World Health Organization recommended a 42-day quarantine for high-risk exposure to the Andes strain of hantavirus.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The secretary’s declaration extends liability protections for companies that manufacture and distribute the experimental antiviral drug favipiravir, which has shown promise to treat hantavirus in lab studies.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026