Orthohantavirus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of rodent-borne viruses in the family Hantaviridae that can cause serious illness in humans
2. A group of viruses spread mainly by rodents, capable of triggering lung or kidney disease in people
3. Any member of a taxonomic genus of zoonotic viruses transmitted through contact with rodent droppings or urine

Etymology: The virus family takes its name from a place. The first hantaviruses to be studied came from the Hantan River area of South Korea, and the viruses were named "hantavirus" after that stream. Many of them are carried by rodents, which spread them through urine, droppings and saliva. "Orthohantavirus" is a later, more formal label built from the Greek "orthos," meaning straight, upright or true. Virus taxonomists use "ortho-" to mark a genus within a larger family, and it likely signals that this group contains the original hantaviruses. The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, which classifies viruses into ranked groups, is responsible for the name.