hant

Hant is a term with multiple uses across science, geography, and culture. In biology, hant- is a root used in the names of hantaviruses, a group of RNA viruses carried by rodents that can infect humans. The name hantavirus derives from the Hantan River in South Korea, near where early work identified the first members of the group. Notable viruses in this lineage include Hantaan, Puumala, Seoul, Dobrava-Belgrade, and Sin Nombre. Diseases associated with these viruses include hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Transmission to humans generally occurs through inhalation of aerosols contaminated with infected rodent excreta; person-to-person transmission is rare and limited to a few strains in certain reports.

In other contexts, Hant can appear as a personal name or surname in various cultures and as part of place names in different regions. Because it is a short, cross-cultural term, its precise meaning depends on context and should be clarified by accompanying information.

Related terms include the Hantan River, from which the virus nomenclature partly derives, and the broader category hantaviruses. The term does not designate a single, universally recognized topic on its own, but rather points to several distinct usages in science, geography, and naming.