In this study, the genetic or pharmacological disruption of the SREBP pathway at the site of the regulatory element membrane-bound transcription factor peptidase/site 1 protesase (MBTPS1/S1P) dramatically reduced viral infection, which is a feature that confirms the essential dependence of hantavirus on the high membrane cholesterol content for membrane fusion and effective infection. The gene discussed is MBTPS1; the disease is infection.