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
Arakawa died from a respiratory illness linked to hantavirus, which is a rare disease transmitted by infected rodents.
—
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Meanwhile, Arakawa's death at 65 is attributed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a disease usually contracted from exposure to mouse droppings that affects the lungs.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Deer mice—the rodent that mainly carries hantavirus—usually stick to rural areas out west.
—Julia Ries, Health, 26 Apr. 2025
Between 1993 and 2022, there were 864 cases of hantavirus reported in the U.S.
—Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hantavirus
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Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Meanwhile, Arakawa's death at 65 is attributed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a disease usually contracted from exposure to mouse droppings that affects the lungs.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Deer mice—the rodent that mainly carries hantavirus—usually stick to rural areas out west.
—Julia Ries, Health, 26 Apr. 2025
Between 1993 and 2022, there were 864 cases of hantavirus reported in the U.S.
—Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hantavirus
Cite this Entry
“Hantavirus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hantavirus. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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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