Definition

Hantavirus infection is caused by a group of viruses
that can infect humans with two serious illnesses: hemorrhagic
fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), and Hantavirus
pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

Description

Hantaviruses are found without causing symptoms
within various species of rodents and are passed to
humans by exposure to the urine, feces, or saliva of those
infected rodents. Ten different hantaviruses have been
identified as important in humans. Each is found in specific
geographic regions, and therefore is spread by different
rodent carriers. Further, each type of virus causes a
slightly different form of illness in its human hosts: