Dr Gumbo writes that Hantavirus is a generic name and that the
current outbreak is a new species of Hantavirus diff from that
which causes Korean Hemorrhagic Fever. This is correct. I thought
that I made it clear in my posting that Korean Hemorrhagic Fever
was the the only other Bunyaviridae of the Hantavirus family
that was occasionally found in mice in the SW US and that it
was never really a problem. The new variant which, as Dr Gumbo
points out, has been recognized by the CDC as a new species
(I don't know if they are the ultimate taxonomic authority in
such a case but so be it for now....) may in fact have evolved
from the others forms of Hantaan virus or it may have been around
from before the 1993 outbreak but because mice were not as
plentiful as they were before it too was not a problem, even
for people living a rural lifestyle and coming into occasional
or regular contact with these animals and/or their excreta.
There are a number of other types or "species" of Hantavirus
including Prospect Hill, HAARDS agent, Puumala, Seoul, Leakey
and Tchoupitoulas virus. There are five genera in the Bunyaviridae
besides Hantavirus: Bunyavirus, Phlebovirus, Nairovirus and
Ukuvirus.
T
