Epidemiology of Hantaan and related viruses.

Hantaan and related viruses, the causative agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), are significant human pathogens. Current epidemiologic evidence indicates that these pathogens are disturbed more widely than once believed, and they are likely to cause disease when man comes into close contact with infected rodents. This report summarizes the characteristics of the Hantaanp-related viruses of the genus Hantavirus including epidemiology, ecological characteristics, routes of transmission, and mechanisms of virus maintenance.