hantavirus

noun

han·​ta·​vi·​rus ˈhän-tə-ˌvī-rəs  ˈhən-  ˈhan- 

: any of a family (Hantaviridae and especially genus Orthohantavirus) of bunyaviruses transmitted especially by rodent feces and urine and including viruses causing serious pulmonary disease or hemorrhagic fevers marked by renal necrosis

Examples of hantavirus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It was later announced Hackman, 95, died of cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease likely around Feb. 18, about one week after his wife died from a rare syndrome, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, on about Feb. 12, officials said. —Alex Stone, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025

Arakawa, a 65-year-old classical pianist, is believed to have died roughly a week earlier due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but sometimes fatal disease transmitted from rodents to humans. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025

Betsy died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, New Mexico officials told reporters. —Christina Dugan Ramirez, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2025

It was later determined that the French Connection star died around Feb. 17 from heart disease with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor, while Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from hanta- (from Hantaan, river in South Korea near where rodents carrying the virus were collected 1974–78) + virus

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hantavirus

• antivirus
• herpesvirus
• parvovirus
• reovirus
• retrovirus
• rhinovirus
• rotavirus
• adenovirus
• baculovirus
• coronavirus
• enterovirus
• poliovirus

Medical Definition

hantavirus

noun

han·​ta·​vi·​rus ˈhan-tə-ˌvī-rəs  ˈhən-  ˈhän- 

: any of a family (Hantaviridae and especially genus Orthohantavirus) of bunyaviruses that infect specific rodents as their natural hosts and that include some forms causing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans following exposure to the virus in airborne particles of rodent urine, feces, or saliva or directly by the bite of a rodent