Hantavirus Live

Reference

Case definitions

Public-health authorities use standardised case definitions to classify and count infections consistently. Hantavirus Live does not create or interpret case definitions — it references the originals published by the authorities listed below.

European Union / ECDC

In the EU/EEA, hantavirus infections are notifiable under the category of viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHF). The surveillance case definition is set out in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/945. The ECDC factsheet provides additional clinical and epidemiological context.

World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO provides case definitions for outbreak surveillance through its Disease Outbreak Toolbox. The hantavirus toolbox includes suggested surveillance definitions for use in the Americas and globally.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

In the United States, hantavirus disease is a nationally notifiable condition. The CDC publishes surveillance case definitions through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), covering both Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) and non-pulmonary hantavirus infections.

Common classification levels

While the exact criteria differ between authorities, most case definitions distinguish three levels:

Confirmed
A case with laboratory confirmation — typically detection of hantavirus-specific antibodies (IgM), viral RNA by PCR, or viral antigen in tissue. Details vary by authority; see the original definitions linked above.
Probable
A clinically compatible case with an epidemiological link to a confirmed case or a known exposure, but without full laboratory confirmation.
Suspected
A case that meets clinical criteria but has not yet been laboratory-tested or epidemiologically linked.

Hantavirus Live displays the classification level as reported by the originating authority and links to the original publication so you can verify the criteria applied.

Medical disclaimer: This page provides references to official case definitions for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. If you have health concerns, contact your local health authority.
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