The property of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead in their New Mexico mansion in February, was infested with disease-spreading rats, TheDaily Mail reported. The 95-year-old Hollywood star died days after his wife, 65, passed away from a hantavirus pulmonary syndrome—a rare condition spread by rodent droppings and urine. Hackman’s passing was caused by severe heart disease that was exacerbated by Alzheimer’s disease and kidney disease. The New Mexico Department of Public Health conducted a health assessment on the property a week after the bodies were discovered on Feb. 26. They determined that dead rodents and their nests discovered in eight detached outbuildings on the Hackman property effectively turned it into a breeding ground for hantavirus. Hantavirus is usually spread through contact with rodent excrement. They found droppings in three garages, two casitas, and three sheds on the property. On top of this, inspectors uncovered live and dead rodents with nests in three more garages on the property. Two rodent-infested vehicles and numerous traps indicated that the rats may have been an ongoing issue.
