hantavirus

1. (virology) Any virus of the genus Hantavirus, transmitted by aerosolized rodent excreta or rodent bites, especially the deer mouse. Hantaviruses cause Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS): incubation lasts for 1–5 weeks, sickness begins with fever and muscle aches, followed by shortness of breath and coughing.Examples: "To reveal the molecular epidemiology of hantaviruses in this region, a total of 374 small mammals (eight species of rodents and one species of shrew) were captured in the Chinese part of the Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island (Heilongjiang Province).[…] Overall, these results suggest that Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island harbors considerable hantavirus diversity."