Hantaviruses are negative-sense multi-segmented viruses that typically infect rodents. However, spillover hantaviral infection can occur in humans upon exposure to infected rodent’s excreta or due to rodent bites. Human-to-human transmission has only been documented for a single viral species, i.e., Orthohantavirus andesense, in South America.

Old World hantaviruses predominantly circulate in Europe and Asia and have been found to cause hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. On the other hand, New World hantaviruses predominantly circulate in North and South America and have been found to cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.