How Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa contracted rare rodent disease hantavirus

The wife of legendary actor Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa, reportedly succumbed to hantavirus, a sev ere disease thought to have been contracted from rat droppings in the couple's garage and outhouses. Aged 65, Betsy is said to have encountered the virus, akin to a feverish illness, while cleaning these areas at their Santa Fe, New Mexico residence, revealed sources this evening.

Tragically, even the couple's dog was found deceased inside the home. Although dogs can contract hantavirus, authorities highlight that they typically don't exhibit symptoms, nor are there documented instances of transmission from pets to humans.

Dr David Quammen, an expert in infectious diseases based in Montana and not part of the investigation, stated: "In terms of hantavirus getting communicated to humans, that would generally happen through mouse urine embedded in dust in a dusty building, so in a shed or a garage, where the mice were running around. Then, if someone came in and swept up that dust, inhaling that dust would be enough to give them hantavirus."

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At 95, Gene Hackman tested negative for the infection and has since passed away due to natural causes; Alzheimer's disease among them. The esteemed two-time Oscar recipient had been residing in the hillside abode with his spouse, a trained classical pianist, for numerous years.

According to the police, Betsy did not seem to have any mobility issues in her final months. CCTV footage regularly captured her moving around the residence and even going on shopping trips just days before her death, reports the Mirror.

However, tests revealed that a lethal fluid, caused by hantavirus, had accumulated in her lungs, leading to her demise. This rare disease is transmitted through inhaling virus particles from rodent saliva, urine, or faeces, and can also be spread via rodent bites. In the US, deer mice are the most common carriers.

Symptoms usually manifest between one to eight weeks after exposure to infected rodents. These include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headache, dizziness, chills, and abdominal or digestive problems.

After four to ten days of these initial symptoms, patients may experience shortness of breath, chest tightness, and fluid in the lungs.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed Mail Online that there have been 129 confirmed cases of hantavirus in New Mexico since 1993, including seven in 2023, which is the most recent year for which data is available. The agency stated: "We are in contact with health officials in New Mexico who determined a woman has died of hantavirus infection."

They added: "Her blood samples tested positive for a recent hantavirus infection at the state health department lab and the University of New Mexico Medical Center.

"CDC has offered to test samples to learn more about the strain of virus that infected the individual and to perform pathology testing."

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