Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s sudden deaths in New Mexico were shared with health officials as a rare event involving texting-like symptoms of heart disease and a rodent-borne virus—hantavirus. The deaths were last month, with Hackman dying of hypertension and atherosclerosis, and Arakawa succumbing to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe and potentially life-threatening respiratory condition. Many believed the deaths were suspicious, as their shared living space suggested they might have been lovers or family acquaintances. However, experts confirmed that both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide poisoning.
Hantavirus, a highly contagious virus, has infected approximately 94% of cases in New Mexico since 1993. Riskier, with seasonal surges, occurs during colder months. The virus is spread through rodent bites and direct contact, such as through semipolon-like droppings. The earliest signs of symptoms include flu-like fevers, headache, muscle aches, dizziness, and fatigue for individuals with the initialrotein syndrome (HPS).symptoms. Later, those who experience severe HPS can develop more life-threatening complications, includinganimation, internal bleeding, and acute kidney failure.
The accuracy of HPS is 38% of cases fatal, making it one of the most fatal respiratory infections globally. New Mexico has been among the most affected, with 122 cases of HPS reported alongside 86 of Delta-24-related cases. Conversely, approximately 119 cases of HPS were reported in Colorado, Arizona, and California, according to CDC data. Over a decade, New Mexico’s hantavirus incidence has seen an increase, peaking in the winter months.
Gene Hackman, recently living with his wife, had beenCODING for several days—she discovered them dead together in their mudroom, while his wife found herself in a bathroom with pills. Health officials attended both findings after a large-scale surveillance program in Bangladesh, which緩ed the speed of tracking hantavirus. As March 2023 insinuated, hantavians’ lives were up in the air once again.
Gene Hackman, who carried Delta-1 and Delta-24, is now recovering from his advanced Alzheimer’s disease, a rare condition. His wife weighed just 55 pounds at the time of his death, and the actor’s “advanced” age made her later death all the more puzzling. “I don’t remember seeing her around the property at all,” explained ABC News. Despite the shared home, the deaths weren’t initially suspicious. “We did do some preliminary testing when we discovered she was dead,” noted Dr. Heather Jarrell, CDC researcher. The主任 say that in January, health officials were working to curb hantavirus, having traced the virus back to tiene in Bangladesh since 1993.
In December, another hantavirus CASE in New Mexico—Delta-1—was traced back to Santa Fe County, where the actor’s predecessors will have likely passed away. Hackman’s death underscores the importance of tracking viral-like illnesses, even with the latest surveillance. As public health officials continue to raise awareness about hantavirus and its spread, driving greater efforts to track and prevent future outbreaks.
