What is hantavirus, which killed Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa
The rare illness spread by rodents was first detected in humans in the U.S. about three decades ago
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Frances Vinall
Published Mar 10, 2025 • 4 minute read
Betsy Arakawa, pianist and wife of actor Gene Hackman, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, New Mexico chief medical examiner Heather Jarrell said Friday at a news conference.
Arakawa, 65, and Hackman, 95, were found dead in their Santa Fe home last month.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare illness spread by rodents that was first detected in humans in the United States about three decades ago. Here’s what to know.
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What happened to Betsy Arakawa?
Jarrell said that an autopsy revealed that Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, most likely between Feb. 11, when she was last seen alive, and Feb. 18, which was when Hackman’s pacemaker last registered activity.
She had sent emails and gone to a farmers market, a pharmacy and a pet food store on Feb. 11, but she had not used her email account or been seen since then, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday.
Hackman most likely died of heart disease up to a week after his wife, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease a contributing factor, Jarrell said. “It’s quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased,” she said, adding that he was in a “very poor state of health.”
The couple’s bodies were found in different rooms on Feb. 26, when a worker visited the home for maintenance.
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What are the symptoms of hantavirus?
Hantaviruses can develop into hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a lung disease that kills about 38 percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms typically start to show between one and eight weeks after first contact with the virus.
The disease presents with flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches and a cough, Jarrell said. About half of patients experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain, according to the CDC.
As the disease progresses, it attacks capillaries in the lungs and can cause them to leak, damaging lung tissue, causing fluid buildup and severely affecting heart and lung function, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms of this stage of the illness can include difficulty breathing and an irregular heart rate.
There is no specific treatment. Breathing support, including intubation, may help some patients.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is found in the Western Hemisphere. A different deadly illness caused by the virus that attacks the kidneys – hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome – is more common in Europe and Asia.
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How common is it?
Hantavirus disease is rare. There were 864 reported cases in the United States between 1993, when the CDC began tracking the illness, and 2022, the last available CDC data.
The states with the highest number of cases during that time were New Mexico (122), Colorado (119), Arizona (86) and California (78). The vast majority of cases originate west of the Mississippi River, according to the American Lung Association. In New Mexico, authorities have documented between one and seven cases in humans annually in recent years, state public health veterinarian Erin Phipps said Friday.
In 1993, an outbreak originating in the Southwest killed about 30 people. The deaths were the first documented cases in the Americas of hantavirus disease in humans and triggered a public health response that has helped prevent other similarly sized outbreaks to date.
In 2012, an outbreak at Yosemite National Park killed at least three.
Arakawa’s death, though rare, was not unusual, and health authorities did not see it as an indicator of a wider public health threat, Phipps said Friday.
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Deer mouse droppings can cause hantavirus infections in humans.
Deer mouse droppings can cause hantavirus infections in humans.
How is it transmitted?
Hantaviruses are not generally transmitted person to person. They are usually spread to humans through contact with rodents, including through mice and rats’ urine, droppings, saliva or – in rare cases – a bite or scratch, according to the CDC. Deer mice, which live throughout North America, are the most common culprits when it comes to infecting humans in the United States, but various rodent species can carry the virus.
The virus can spread to humans if they touch rodent waste then touch their mouths, or through breathing in dust that contains particles of droppings, urine and other infected substances – which is a particular risk while cleaning.
The CDC suggests avoiding sweeping or vacuuming mouse droppings and instead spraying the area with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water and letting it soak for five minutes before cleaning with gloves and paper towels. Phipps on Friday also recommended wearing an N95 mask and ventilating the area as much as possible beforehand.
The New Mexico Department of Health recommends people take several precautions to reduce hantavirus risk, including using mice traps, sealing up structures to prevent rodents from entering and cleaning up trash that can harbor rodents.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare illness spread by rodents that was first detected in humans in the US about three decades ago.
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