1951-1954
Korean hemorrhagic fever
Korean peninsula · Several thousand military cases reported
Unexplained hemorrhagic fevers observed during the Korean War led to the work that later identified Hantaan virus.
Educational · History
Outbreak timeline
Synthetic historical markers. Older figures remain descriptive and tied to official or scientific sources.
1976
Identification of Hantaan virus
South Korea · Start of the modern hantavirus field
The virus was isolated from wild rodents, linking observed renal syndromes to an animal reservoir.
1993
Four Corners outbreak
Southwestern United States · Recognition of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
A CDC investigation linked acute respiratory deaths to Sin Nombre virus carried by deer mice.
1995-1996
Andes virus
Argentina / Chile · Rare human-to-human transmission documented
Andes virus became the key exception: person-to-person transmission was documented during close contact.
2012
Yosemite
California, United States · Exposure linked to contaminated lodging
An episode in cabins highlighted prevention in closed buildings, camping settings and infested spaces.