Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome in Canada

S in Nombre virus (SNV; family Hantaviridae, ge- nus Orthohantavirus, species Sin Nombre orthohantavirus) is the primary etiologic agent of a severe respiratory illness known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) or hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), of which ≈1,000 cases have been confirmed across North America.SNV was identified after an outbreak in 1993, and association with the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) was established (1,2).In North America, the case-fatality rate (CFR) of HCPS is 30%-35% (3).Transmission of SNV to humans occurs predominantly through direct contact with infected deer mice or their excreta in peridomestic settings (4).We summarize critical aspects of SNV biology and the epidemiology of infections in Canada over the past 25 years, including a phylogenetic analysis of SNV from different geographic areas over time.