Hantavirus Health Dictionary

A viral infection that is transmitted to humans through the urine or faeces of infected rodents, such as rats. Symptoms range from a minor flu-like illness with headache and a sore throat to high fever, nausea and vomiting, and abnormal bleeding. Some strains of hantavirus can cause severe infections which may lead to kidney failure, serious lung damage, and death.

Also known as Four Corners virus. A rodent virus from the white-footed deer mouse of the USA. Causes severe respiratory disease of humans.

A group of viruses that infect mice, rats and voles and can also infect humans who come into contact with the excreta or secretions of these animals. Widely distributed in Asia, the USA and Europe, in Britain hantavirus usually affects rural and sewage workers, as well as people engaged in watersports. Many victims have a mild feverish illness; severe cases are characterised by headache, high temperature, nausea, vomiting and even shock, accompanied by skin PETECHIAE. The kidneys and sometimes the lungs are affected, and in severely affected patients mortality is high.

n. one of a genus of viruses that infect rats, mice, and voles and cause disease in humans when the secretions or excreta of these rodents are inhaled or ingested. The disease was first reported from the area of the Hantaan river, which separates North from South Korea, but hantavirus infections also occur in Japan, China, Russia, Europe, and the USA: in Britain it can affect farm, nature conservancy, and sewage workers and those engaged in water sports. The symptoms vary according to the strain of the infecting virus. Many patients have a mild influenza-like illness, but severe cases are characterized by high fever, headache, shock, nausea and vomiting, and *petechiae in the skin; there may be kidney pain and rapidly progressive kidney damage leading to kidney failure. A particularly virulent strain in the USA attacks the lungs, leading to rapid respiratory failure. The mortality rate in these severe cases is high.