Reference

Glossary

A quick reference to the terms you’ll see in official notices and news coverage. This is informational only and not medical advice.

ANDV (Andes virus)

A hantavirus species found in South America. Unlike most hantaviruses, Andes virus has documented person-to-person transmission in some outbreaks.

Case definition

The criteria used to classify someone as a suspected, probable, or confirmed case. It can change as investigators learn more about an event.

Confirmed case

A case that meets a public health authority’s confirmation criteria—typically including laboratory evidence.

Contact tracing

The process of identifying and notifying people who may have been exposed so they can monitor symptoms, test, or isolate if advised.

Disease Outbreak News (DON)

WHO’s public reports about selected acute public health events. Not every event is published as a DON.

ECDC

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. An EU agency that publishes risk assessments and event updates relevant to Europe.

Exposure

A situation where someone may have come into contact with the virus (for example, through contact with contaminated rodent excreta, or close contact in rare person-to-person contexts depending on strain).

Hantavirus

A family of viruses usually carried by rodents. Human illness often occurs after breathing in aerosolized particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva.

HFRS

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. A hantavirus disease form seen mainly in Europe and Asia, often affecting kidneys.

HPS

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. A severe disease form seen mainly in the Americas, often involving respiratory failure.

Incubation period

Time from exposure to symptom onset. For hantaviruses, incubation can be weeks and may vary by strain and circumstances.

Isolation vs quarantine

Isolation separates people who are sick; quarantine separates people who were exposed and may become sick.

Official source

Publications from public health authorities and international organizations (for example: CDC, WHO, ECDC, national ministries of health) or the operator’s formal statements.

Pending review

A label used on this site for items that were auto-collected by the pipeline but have not been manually verified by a curator.

Rodent-borne

Transmitted from rodents to humans (directly or indirectly). Many hantavirus infections are rodent-borne rather than spread between people.

Source-linked

A design principle of this tracker: key claims should link to a primary document or clearly identify the origin.

Under observation

People being monitored due to possible exposure or symptoms; the exact meaning depends on the reporting authority.