Microbiology · Other viruses and prions
Hantavirus !
- Virus
- Enveloped
- For completeness
Viruses of wild rodents caught by breathing dust laden with their urine or droppings; in the Americas they cause a severe pulmonary syndrome.
Updated 2026-11-01
At a glance
- Shape
- Spherical or pleomorphic
- Genome
- Single-stranded, negative-sense, segmented RNA (three segments)
- Envelope
- Enveloped
- Family
- Hantaviridae (order Bunyavirales)
- Size
- About 80 to 120 nm
Morphology
- Envelope with Gn and Gc glycoproteins
- Three RNA segments (small, medium and large)
- Unlike other Bunyavirales, not carried by an arthropod
Transmission
- Inhaling dust or droplets contaminated with rodent urine, droppings or saliva, while sweeping or cleaning sheds, cabins or barns
- Rarely by a rodent bite or scratch
- Andes virus (Argentina and Chile) is the only one with documented person-to-person spread
Reservoir: Wild rodents, each virus with its own species; infected for life without illness
Isolation precautions
What the care team adds to standard precautions.
- Standard
Virulence factors
- Infects capillary endothelium, above all in the lung or kidney
- The immune response raises capillary permeability: non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema and shock
- Does not directly destroy cells: the damage is mostly immune-mediated
Diseases it causes
- Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (in the Americas) Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome →
- Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (Europe and Asia) Viral haemorrhagic fevers (Ebola and others) →
Clinical picture
- Prodrome of fever, fatigue and muscle aches 1 to 8 weeks after exposure
- Then cough, dyspnoea and rapid pulmonary oedema with shock
- Laboratory clue: thrombocytopenia, haemoconcentration and leukocytosis with immunoblasts
- High fatality once respiratory symptoms appear
Diagnosis
- Serology: specific IgM
- RT-PCR on blood or tissue
- X-ray: bilateral interstitial infiltrates
Treatment
No specific antiviral: intensive care support with oxygen, mechanical ventilation and, in severe cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO); dialysis in the renal syndrome.
Drug class only; doses and regimens are set by the clinician from the current guideline.
Prevention
- Rodent control and sealing of homes and sheds
- Wet droppings with disinfectant before cleaning; no dry sweeping or vacuuming
- Gloves and respiratory protection when cleaning closed spaces with rodents
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
How do humans catch hantavirus?
Mostly by inhaling dust or droplets contaminated with urine, droppings or saliva of wild rodents.
Which syndrome do hantaviruses cause in the Americas, and which in Europe and Asia?
In the Americas, pulmonary syndrome; in Europe and Asia, haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
Which hantavirus spreads from person to person?
Andes virus, in Argentina and Chile.
Which laboratory findings suggest hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?
Thrombocytopenia, haemoconcentration and leukocytosis with atypical lymphocytes or immunoblasts.
Related
- Arenaviruses (Lassa and the South American haemorrhagic fevers)
- Leptospira interrogans
- Ebola and Marburg viruses (filoviruses)
Related conditions
← Back to the group: Other viruses and prions
Educational content on microorganisms; not a treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: About Hantavirus | Hantavirus | CDC (CDC, 2024); Serologic Evidence of Hantavirus Infection in Humans, Colombia - Volume 10, Number 12—December 2004 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC (CDC (Emerging Infectious Diseases), 2004); About Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers | Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs) | CDC (CDC, 2024).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.