Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is the infectious disease caused in Eurasia by Hantaviruses. This disease was known for a long time. Despite this fact the cause of it was described in Korea only in 1978. Hantaviral pulmonary syndrome caused by different group of Hantaviruses has been described in USA in 1993. Three genospecies circulate: Puumala, Dobrava-Belgrade a Tula in Europe. Hantaviruses are reproducing in particular kinds of rodents in their natural habitants. Humans are infected by entering in their areas contaminated by aerosols. This article describes the characteristics of Hantaviruses, clinical appearance of the human disease, its pathogenesis and epidemiology with accent on the situation in the čzech Republic.

        Key words: Hantaviruses, Puumala, Dobrava-Belgrade, Tula, haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, nephropathia epidemica.