Hantavirus glossary
Plain-English definitions of every term used in hantavirus surveillance, epidemiology and clinical care.
Aerosol
A suspension of fine particles in air, small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs.
Aerosol transmission
Infection via tiny airborne particles inhaled into the lungs.
Basic reproduction number (R₀)
The average number of secondary cases produced by one primary case in a fully-susceptible population.
Case-fatality ratio (CFR)
The proportion of confirmed cases of a disease that result in death.
Cluster
A group of disease cases linked by time, place, or exposure.
Contact tracing
Identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed to a confirmed case.
Dead-end host
A host that becomes infected but does not transmit the pathogen onward.
Disease Outbreak News (DON)
WHO's official channel for publishing outbreak alerts.
ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation)
A life-support technique that oxygenates blood outside the body.
Endemic vs epidemic
Endemic = always present at baseline; epidemic = sudden rise above baseline.
Fomite transmission
Indirect transmission via contaminated surfaces.
Hantavirus
A genus of rodent-borne RNA viruses that cause severe disease in humans.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)
A severe, often fatal lung disease caused by New World hantaviruses.
Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)
A severe kidney-and-bleeding disease caused by Old World hantaviruses.
IgG antibody
The most abundant antibody class — marker of past exposure or immunity.
IgM antibody
The first antibody class produced after infection — marker of recent exposure.
IgM ELISA
A serological test for recent infection that detects IgM antibodies.
Incubation period
The interval between infection and onset of symptoms.
International Health Regulations (IHR)
The legally-binding WHO framework for cross-border public-health events.
Reservoir host
A species in which a pathogen circulates persistently and asymptomatically.
Ribavirin
A broad-spectrum antiviral effective against HFRS but not HPS.
RT-PCR
A laboratory technique that detects viral RNA directly.
Seroconversion
The transition from antibody-negative to antibody-positive in a patient's blood.
Sporadic
Disease occurring in isolated, irregular cases without clear pattern.
Super-spreader event
A single event that produces an unusually large number of secondary cases.
Syndromic surveillance
Outbreak detection based on symptom patterns rather than confirmed diagnoses.
Thrombocytopenia
Low platelet count in the blood.
Viral shedding
The release of virus from an infected host into the environment.
Viremia
The presence of virus particles in the bloodstream.
Zoonosis
An infectious disease that spreads from animals to humans.