How Gene Hackman's wife Betsy contracted rare rat disease hantavirus
Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa tragically died alongside her husband in February,with tests showing the classical pianist contracted the rare rodent disease Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).
She is believed to have contracted the horrific disease through exposure to rat droppings in the couple's garage and outhouses.
At 65, Betsy may have fallen victim to the fever-like illness while cleaning these areas at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home, reports claim.
The couple's dog was also discovered deceased within the residence. Officials point out that although dogs can contract the virus, they typically do not exhibit symptoms, and there are no known instances of canine-to-human transmission.
However, an authority on the matter warned that merely breathing in dust from rodent-infested environments could lead to the lung infection. Dr David Quammen, a Montana-based infectious disease specialist not connected to the case, explained: "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."
Gene, aged 95, tested negative for the virus and his passing was attributed to natural causes, including Alzheimer's disease, it has been revealed. The esteemed two-time Oscar laureate had resided on the hillside estate with his spouse, a classical pianist, for numerous years.
Despite police reports suggesting that Betsy did not struggle with mobility in her final months, as she was frequently seen on CCTV walking around her residence and going shopping, tests revealed a deadly fluid build-up in her lungs. This was caused by the rare hantavirus, which ultimately led to the musician's death.
The virus is typically transmitted through inhaling particles from rodent saliva, urine, or faeces, or via rodent bites, with deer mice being the most common carriers in the US.
Symptoms usually appear within one to eight weeks of exposure to infected rodents and can include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal or digestive issues. After four to ten days of these early 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, the most recent year for which data is available.
The CDC stated it "is in contact with health officials in New Mexico who determined a woman has died of hantavirus infection."
It 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."
