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

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

The Andes strain is associated primarily with parts of Chile and Argentina, where the trip originated, and is the only known hantavirus strain capable of human-to-human transmission.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Five of the eight were confirmed as hantavirus, while the others were suspected cases.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026