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

Ebola virus disease and hantavirus have attracted renewed attention in recent weeks because of the serious risks they pose to public health.

From Science Daily • Jun. 22, 2026

There is currently no approved antiviral medication or vaccine specifically for hantavirus.

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

Perryman, 47, was one of more than a dozen Americans exposed to hantavirus aboard a cruise ship earlier this spring.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Officials are investigating a potential case of hantavirus, a rare but deadly disease that attacks the lungs, in an inmate at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in Marin County.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026