Hantavirus Diseases – A Comprehensive Review

Hantaviruses are a diverse group of infectious agents which are zoonotic in nature and transmitted to humans through rodent reservoir. Hantaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses that persistently infect rodent hosts without ill-effect. The host persistently excretes virus in urine and saliva. Man becomes infected from the rodents when one enters the ecological niche of the other. Hantaviruses can cause two types of diseases in humans: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). The number of reported Hantavirus infections is increasing worldwide, and new Hantaviruses are being discovered in many countries, making them a global public health concern. Hantavirus infections are thought to be under diagnosed due to the fact that they frequently cause asymptomatic and nonspecific mild infections, as well as a lack of simple standardized diagnostic laboratory methods. This review summarizes current knowledge on Hantaviral infections, including virology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, laboratory diagnostics, treatment, and prevention.