Hantavirus Syndrome
/ˌhæn.təˈvaɪ.rəs sɪnˈdroʊm/noun
A group of diseases caused by hantaviruses, ranging from hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Did you know?The name Hantavirus honors the Hantan River in South Korea, where an outbreak-associated virus was identified during investigations of Korean War soldiers’ unexplained hemorrhagic illness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weis-
“To melt away, decay, or become foul; a proposed ancient root connected with poison and venom.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
virus
“Poison, venom, or other noxious fluid.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σύνδρομος (sýndromos)
“Running together; a concurrence of symptoms or events.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
virus
“A poisonous or infectious agent; later, a microscopic pathogen.”
1950s
English/Korean proper noun
Hantaan
“The name taken from the Hantan River region of South Korea, associated with the virus first linked to the disease.”
1976
Scientific English
Hantaan virus
“The virus isolated and identified as the cause of Korean hemorrhagic fever, now classified within the genus Hantavirus.”
1993–Present
Modern English
hantavirus syndrome
“A clinical term for human disease caused by hantaviruses, including severe pulmonary and hemorrhagic syndromes.”
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