Biodefense Implications of New-World Hantaviruses

Abstract

Hantaviruses, part of the Bunyaviridae family, are a genus of negative-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that cause two major diseases: New-World Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome and Old-World Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome. Hantaviruses generally are found worldwide with each disease corresponding to their respective hemispheres. New-World Hantaviruses spread by specific rodent-host reservoirs and are categorized as emerging viruses that pose a threat to global health and security due to their high mortality rate and ease of transmission. Incidentally, reports of Hantavirus categorization as a bioweapon are often contradicted as both US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refer to them as Category A and C bioagents respectively, each retaining qualitative levels of importance and severity. Concerns of Hantavirus being engineered into a novel bioagent has been thwarted by Hantaviruses being difficult to culture, isolate, and purify limiting its ability to be weaponized. However, the natural properties of Hantaviruses pose a threat that can be exploited by conventional and unconventional forces. This review seeks to clarify the categorization of Hantaviruses as a bioweapon, whilst defining the practicality of employing New-World Hantaviruses and their effect on armies, infrastructure, and civilian targets.

In Vitro Anti-Orthohantavirus Activity of the High-and Low-Molecular-Weight Fractions of Fucoidan from the Brown Alga Fucus evanescens

“…These viruses are the etiological agents of two clinical forms of human disease: haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Eurasia and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in the Americas. There are between 150,000 and 200,000 cases of orthohantavirus disease worldwide each year, with the majority of HFRS cases occurring in Asia, mostly in China [3][4][5]. In the Russian Federation, HFRS takes a leading place among all natural focal human diseases [6].…”

Trends and focuses of hantavirus researches: a global bibliometric analysis and visualization from 1980 to 2020

“…Hantaviruses, which are members of the Bunyaviridae family, are enveloped, single-stranded negative-sense RNA viruses [ 1 , 2 ]. hantavirus infections in humans can lead to two clinical syndromes: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Europe and Asia (caused by Old World hantaviruses) and Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in North America and South America (caused by New World hantaviruses) [ 3 , 4 ]. Although China has records of a disease in its literature from 900 years ago that suggest hantavirus infections [ 5 ], the first documented pathogenic hantavirus infection in Asia was along the Hantaan River in South Korea during 1976 [ 6 , 7 ].…”

Rodent‐borne viruses in the region of Middle East

“…Those include the Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS) and Haemorrhagic Fever Renal Syndrome (HFRS). 24 HCPS starts with the prodrome phase characterised by general symptoms such as fever, headache, and myalgia that last for up to 5 days. 25 The second phase (cardiopulmonary phase) is not always observed in hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome patients; however, during this phase which begins within 8-24 h, patients endure cardiopulmonary failure, cough, dyspnoea, hypoxia, pulmonary leak, and respiratory problems.…”