DefinitionHantavirus is a disease spread by rodents that is similar to the flu.Alternative NamesHantavirus pulmonary syndrome; Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndromeCauses, incidence, and risk factorsHantavirus has probably caused people to get sick for years in the United States, but it was not recognized until recently.In 1993 there was an outbreak of fatal respiratory illness on an Indian reservation at the border of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Researchers discovered that hantavirus caused the epidemic. Since that discovery, hantavirus disease has been reported in every western state, and in many eastern states.Hantavirus is carried by rodents, especially deer mice. The virus is in their urine and feces, but it does not make the carrier animal sick. Humans are thought to bec