Covid 2.0?

Added: 2026-05-16

Hantavirus is a family of viruses primarily carried by rodents such as deer mice, cotton rats, and rice rats. Unlike many respiratory viruses, hantaviruses are typically not spread from person to person; instead, humans become infected through aerosolization when virus particles from dried rodent urine, droppings, or saliva are stirred into the air—often during cleaning in confined spaces like sheds, cabins, or attics—and subsequently inhaled. In the Americas, the most severe manifestation is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a rare but life-threatening respiratory disease that begins with flu-like symptoms but can rapidly progress to severe shortness of breath and fluid accumulation in the lungs.