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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web At a news conference this week with Ruiz and other medical professionals, it was announced that initial testing also appeared to rule out Covid-19, Legionella and hantavirus, which can be spread by rodents. 
Dennis Romero, NBC News, 3 Sep. 2022 But diminishing snowpacks have sent the creatures seeking shelter inside people’s homes, where they have been documented transmitting hantavirus. Evan Bush, NBC News, 8 Aug. 2022 The health officials concluded that the cases are an important reminder for doctors to consider hantavirus infections when diagnosing patients. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 4 Mar. 2022 The vast majority of these are viruses, in particular belonging to the hemorrhagic fever group (including Ebola, hantavirus, Lassa fever), flaviviruses (dengue, zika, yellow fever), and coronaviruses (MERS, and new strands of covid). Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 9 May 2022 People are rarely exposed to hantavirus because rodents tend to avoid humans. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2022 It’s common to find the hantavirus in local rodents. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2022 It’s common to find the hantavirus in local rodents. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2022 It’s common to find the hantavirus in local rodents. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2022 See More
Dennis Romero, NBC News, 3 Sep. 2022 But diminishing snowpacks have sent the creatures seeking shelter inside people’s homes, where they have been documented transmitting hantavirus. Evan Bush, NBC News, 8 Aug. 2022 The health officials concluded that the cases are an important reminder for doctors to consider hantavirus infections when diagnosing patients. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 4 Mar. 2022 The vast majority of these are viruses, in particular belonging to the hemorrhagic fever group (including Ebola, hantavirus, Lassa fever), flaviviruses (dengue, zika, yellow fever), and coronaviruses (MERS, and new strands of covid). Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 9 May 2022 People are rarely exposed to hantavirus because rodents tend to avoid humans. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2022 It’s common to find the hantavirus in local rodents. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2022 It’s common to find the hantavirus in local rodents. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2022 It’s common to find the hantavirus in local rodents. Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2022 See More 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
Medical 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