Hantavirus

Hantaviruses (HTVs) are unlikely candidates for biological warfare (BW) applications, since even the American (SNV) (-like) agents are not always lethal or hemorrhagic. As such, HTVs cannot be compared with other VHF viruses, which are all listed in Category A of CDC’s list of potential BW agents, whereas HTV ranks only under Category C. HTVs are very difficult to isolate, even with the means available in the most advanced laboratories. A major obstacle for its use in biological warfare is the lack of interhuman transmission, and the limited amount of evidence that artificial, HTV-loaden sprays would be truly infectious for a substantial period of time. Finally, vaccination programs are already being implemented with success in some Far-Eastern countries with inactivated vaccines.

Clement, Antiviral Res. 57, 121-127 (2003)

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