Hantavirus
Hantaviruses are tri-segmented negative sense single stranded RNA viruses that belong to the family Bunyaviridae. In nature, hantaviruses are exclusively maintained in the populations of their specific rodent hosts.
In their natural host species, hantaviruses usually develop a persistent infection with prolonged virus shedding in excreta. Humans become infected by inhaling virus contaminated aerosol.
Unlike asymptomatic infection in rodents, hantaviruses cause two acute febrile diseases in humans: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The mortality rate varies from 0.1% to 40% depending on the virus involved.
Hantaviruses are distributed world wide, with over 150,000 HFRS and HPS cases being registered annually.
Pathology
Hantavirus acute tubular necrosis
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
References
Khaiboullina SF, Morzunov SP, St Jeor SC. Hantaviruses: molecular biology, evolution and pathogenesis. Curr Mol Med. 2005 Dec;5(8):773-90. PMID: 16375712