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

"We were surprised that such high proportion of the relatively few voles that we caught were actually carrying a hantavirus that makes people ill. And this was in an area more than 500 km south of the previously known range of the virus," says Elin Economou Lundeberg, infectious diseases doctor at Kristianstad Central Hospital, who is one of the study's first authors.

From Science Daily

However, studies have shown that this hantavirus can also cause very severe HRFS, which in the worst case can be fatal.

From Science Daily

In an attempt to understand how this was possible, bank voles were caught in the vicinity of the patients' homes and analysed for any occurrence of hantavirus.

From Science Daily

It turned out that 9 of the 74 bank voles caught carried hantavirus genes.

From Science Daily

His time investigating a wide range of outbreaks, from hantavirus to Legionnaires’ disease, provided him with extensive hands-on training and allowed him to work with “great mentors” who solidified his future in public health.

From Seattle Times