Hantavirus Glossary
Definitions of the most relevant medical and epidemiological terms.
A
- Aerosolization
- The process by which dried rodent excreta become airborne particles that can be inhaled, representing the primary transmission route for hantaviruses. Read more →
- Andes virus
- A hantavirus endemic to South America, notable for being the only hantavirus with documented person-to-person transmission. Causes HPS with a case fatality rate of approximately 30-40%. Read more →
C
- Capillary leak
- A pathological increase in vascular permeability that allows plasma to escape into surrounding tissues, a hallmark of severe hantavirus infection leading to edema and shock. Read more →
- Case fatality rate
- The proportion of diagnosed cases that result in death. For HPS it ranges from 30-50%, while HFRS varies from less than 1% to 15% depending on the causative virus. Read more →
D
- Dialysis
- A medical procedure that filters waste and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys fail, sometimes required in severe HFRS cases with renal involvement. Read more →
- Diuresis
- The phase of increased urine production that signals renal recovery in HFRS, typically occurring after the oliguric phase and indicating improving kidney function. Read more →
- Dobrava-Belgrade virus
- A hantavirus found in southeastern Europe carried by the yellow-necked mouse, causing the most severe form of HFRS in Europe with case fatality rates up to 12%. Read more →
E
- ECMO
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a life-support technique that oxygenates blood outside the body, used as a last-resort treatment for severe HPS when lungs can no longer function. Read more →
- ELISA
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a serological test used to detect IgM and IgG antibodies against hantaviruses in patient serum, serving as the primary diagnostic method. Read more →
- Endemic
- Describes a disease that is regularly found in a particular geographic area or population, as hantaviruses are endemic in regions where their specific rodent hosts are established. Read more →
H
- Hantaan virus
- The prototype hantavirus first isolated in South Korea near the Hantaan River, carried by the striped field mouse and causing severe HFRS with up to 15% mortality. Read more →
- HFRS (Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome)
- A clinical syndrome caused by Old World hantaviruses characterized by fever, hemorrhage, and acute kidney injury progressing through febrile, hypotensive, oliguric, diuretic, and convalescent phases. Read more →
- HPS (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome)
- A severe respiratory disease caused by New World hantaviruses, characterized by rapid onset of pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock with a case fatality rate of 30-50%. Read more →
I
- IgM
- Immunoglobulin M, the first antibody class produced during acute hantavirus infection. Its presence in serum indicates recent or active infection and is the basis for early serological diagnosis. Read more →
- IgG
- Immunoglobulin G, an antibody class that appears after IgM and persists long-term, indicating past infection or immune memory. A rising IgG titer confirms recent hantavirus exposure. Read more →
- Incubation period
- The time between hantavirus exposure and symptom onset, typically 1-5 weeks with an average of 2-3 weeks, though cases with incubation up to 8 weeks have been reported. Read more →
L
- Laguna Negra virus
- A hantavirus identified in Paraguay and Bolivia, carried by the vesper mouse, associated with HPS cases in the Gran Chaco region of South America. Read more →
O
- Oliguria
- Abnormally low urine output indicating acute kidney injury, a characteristic phase of HFRS where daily urine volume drops below 400 mL due to renal damage. Read more →
- Outbreak
- An occurrence of disease cases in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined area or population, often triggered by environmental changes that increase human-rodent contact. Read more →
P
- PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
- Protective gear including N95 respirators, gloves, and goggles recommended when cleaning rodent-infested areas or handling potentially contaminated materials to prevent hantavirus inhalation. Read more →
- Prodrome
- The initial phase of hantavirus illness presenting with nonspecific symptoms such as fever, myalgia, and fatigue, typically lasting 3-5 days before progression to the cardiopulmonary or renal phase. Read more →
- Pulmonary edema
- Accumulation of fluid in the lungs caused by increased capillary permeability, the defining and most dangerous feature of HPS that can lead to respiratory failure within hours. Read more →
- Puumala virus
- A hantavirus carried by the bank vole across Europe, causing nephropathia epidemica, a mild form of HFRS with less than 1% fatality rate and predominantly renal symptoms. Read more →
R
- Reservoir host
- The animal species that maintains a virus in nature without becoming ill. Each hantavirus is associated with a specific rodent reservoir that sheds virus chronically in urine, feces, and saliva. Read more →
- Rodent excreta
- Urine, droppings, and saliva from infected rodents that contain viable hantavirus particles. When disturbed and aerosolized, these materials become the primary source of human infection. Read more →
- Rodent exclusion
- Prevention strategies that seal entry points and eliminate attractants to keep rodents out of human dwellings, considered the most effective long-term measure against hantavirus exposure. Read more →
- RT-PCR
- Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, a molecular technique that detects hantavirus RNA in blood or tissue samples, providing definitive identification of the infecting virus species. Read more →
S
- Seoul virus
- A globally distributed hantavirus carried by brown and black rats, causing moderate HFRS. Its association with urban rats makes it the only hantavirus with worldwide distribution. Read more →
- Seroprevalence
- The proportion of a population that has antibodies against hantavirus, indicating past exposure. Studies reveal that many infections are mild or subclinical and go undiagnosed. Read more →
- Sin Nombre virus
- The primary cause of HPS in North America, carried by the deer mouse. First identified during the 1993 Four Corners outbreak, it has a case fatality rate of approximately 36%. Read more →
- Surveillance
- The systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data to detect outbreaks early, track disease trends, and guide public health interventions for hantavirus control. Read more →
T
- Thrombocytopenia
- An abnormally low platelet count in the blood, a consistent laboratory finding in hantavirus infections that contributes to hemorrhagic manifestations and serves as an early diagnostic clue. Read more →
V
- Ventilation protocol
- Procedures for airing out enclosed spaces before cleaning to reduce airborne hantavirus concentration, typically requiring cross-ventilation for at least 30 minutes before entry. Read more →
Z
- Zoonosis
- An infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans. Hantavirus is a zoonosis maintained in rodent populations and transmitted primarily through inhalation of aerosolized excreta. Read more →