hantavirus

[ hahn-tuh-vahy-ruhs, han‑ ]

noun

, plural han·ta·vi·rus·es.

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

hantavirus

/ 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

hantavirus

/ 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hantavirus¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hantavirus¹

C20: from Hanta ( an ), river in North and South Korea where the disease was first reported + virus

Example Sentences

People in Western states are warned to avoid mouse poop because of hantavirus, a deadly respiratory illness.

From Popular-Science