Hantavirus
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Hantaviruses belong to the Bunyaviridae family of viruses. The Bunyaviridae family is divided into 5 genera: Orthobunyavirus, Nairovirus, Phlebovirus, Tospovirus, and Hantavirus. Like all members of this family, hantaviruses have genomes comprising three negative-sense, single-stranded RNA segments, and so are classified as negative sense RNA viruses. Viruses in the genus Hantavirus are unique in that they are transmitted by aerosolized rodent excretia or rodent bites, whereas all other genera in the Bunyaviridae family are arthropod-borne viruses.
The name hantavirus is derived from the Hantan River, where the Hantaan virus (the etiologic agent of Korean hemorrhagic fever) was first isolated by Dr. Ho-Wang Lee and colleagues. The disease associated with Hantaan virus is called hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), a term accepted by the World Health Organization. It was formerly called Korean hemorrhagic fever, a term no longer in use.
See also
- Sweating sickness, which may have been caused by a hantavirus
- List of cutaneous conditions
