Technical Disease Card

Henipaviruses (Hendra viruses) (Infection with)

Henipaviruses are zoonotic, enveloped, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the family Paramyxoviridae. Hendra virus (HeV), historically referred to as “equine morbillivirus” due to its genetic similarity to morbilliviruses, was first isolated in 1944 during an outbreak within Australian humans and horses. Disease in non-natural hosts is severe and acute, but also rare.