The causes of the deaths of veteran actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, have now been revealed, after local authorities released the information during a press conference on Friday.
We now know that Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) about a week prior to Hackman, who died from heart failure with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor.
Hantaviruses, of which several dozen variations exist worldwide, are a family of viruses that can be transmitted from animals to humans. According to New Mexico State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps, the Sin Nombre Virus, which is the most common variant of hantavirus found in the United States, is found primarily in deer mice, with about 12 percent of deer mice carrying the virus. It can be transmitted to humans via rodent saliva, droppings, or urine.
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Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), Arakawa’s cause of death, is one of a few different diseases that can occur when humans are infected with hantavirus; hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is another.
According to the CDC, HPS—which primarily affects the lungs—causes flu-like symptoms, including abrupt onset of fever, chills, weakness, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. These symptoms can result in breathing issues if left untreated, and the disease is fatal in nearly four out of every 10 people who are infected.
According to Dr. Phipps, New Mexico has had between one and seven confirmed cases of hantavirus each year for the past five years, with 136 infections over the past 50 years. Five of those instances occurred in Santa Fe county, where Hackman and Arakawa lived. In addition, 42 percent of the hantavirus infections found in humans in New Mexico were fatal. Cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome have been recorded in 34 U.S. states, with 96 percent of those cases found west of the Mississippi River.
Individuals living in rural areas are the most at risk for contracting a hantavirus due to the increased likelihood of rodent activity in and around their homes. Since diagnosing and treating HPS is difficult, as symptoms closely mimic those of the flu, the best treatment is prevention, which involves sealing up cracks through which rodents might enter your home, as well as carefully cleaning areas displaying signs of potential rodent infestation.
Dr. Phipps recommends doing so using gloves and a well-fitted mask, increasing ventilation by opening windows, and using a 10 percent bleach solution or commercial disinfectant. Mouse droppings should never be swept away or vacuumed, as this can spread particles in the air.
