hantavirus
noun
han·ta·vi·rus
ˈhän-tə-ˌvī-rəs 
ˈhən-
ˈhan-
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
And while the physical risks are well-documented — see the recent hantavirus outbreak, which originated with exposure to an infected rodent — experts caution that the psychological impact of this plague is significant.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Researchers found unusually high hantavirus levels in rodents in the Pacific Northwest, suggesting greater exposure risk in the surrounding agricultural communities.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
In the case of the hantavirus outbreak, nearly a month passed from when the first passenger aboard the affected cruise ship became sick, in April, to when the WHO confirmed the outbreak.
—Stephanie Psaki, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
Colbert went on to quip about the hantavirus and a sinkhole shutting down a runway at LaGuardia Airport before he was interrupted by Bryan Cranston, who offered from his seat in the audience to be the show’s final guest.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
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Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Researchers found unusually high hantavirus levels in rodents in the Pacific Northwest, suggesting greater exposure risk in the surrounding agricultural communities.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026
In the case of the hantavirus outbreak, nearly a month passed from when the first passenger aboard the affected cruise ship became sick, in April, to when the WHO confirmed the outbreak.
—Stephanie Psaki, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
Colbert went on to quip about the hantavirus and a sinkhole shutting down a runway at LaGuardia Airport before he was interrupted by Bryan Cranston, who offered from his seat in the audience to be the show’s final guest.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hantavirus
Cite this Entry
“Hantavirus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hantavirus. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hantavirus
noun
han·ta·vi·rus
ˈhan-tə-ˌvī-rəs
ˈhən-
ˈhän-
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
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