Betsy Arakawa, Gene Hackman wife cause of death revealed as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome with actor dying 1 week later of natural causes likely after failing to remember to take medication as a result of debilitating mental illness. No foul play determined.
Drumroll …. and the cause of death that all of America has been patiently waiting for has been revealed with New Mexico authorities releasing the cause of death of famed Hollywood actor, Gene Hackman and his classically trained pianist wife, Betsy Arakawa.
The couple who were found deceased at their private Santa Fe mansion were determined to have died a week apart from each other and with no foul play detected, along with no external injuries.
Arakawa’s cause of death was determined to be that of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease linked to rodents, New Mexico authorities announced Friday.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa cause of death revealed
Hantavirus patients (akin to a severe respiratory disease) can develop flu-like symptoms that quickly progress to breathing difficulties. The condition can significantly damage lung tissue, causing fluid to accumulate in the lungs, leading to serious lung and heart problems.
Arakawa’s date of death was determined to be Feb. 11, New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell said during a Friday news conference.
Hackman — who had late-stage Alzheimer’s disease — likely died about a week after his wife, from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s, Jarrell said.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza re-affirmed the the couple who’d been married for over 34 years did not die from carbon monoxide leak or poisoning as initially thought. The official confirmed no signs of foul play at the couple’s Santa Fe mansion residence.
The chief confirmed that the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were discovered at their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26.
What is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and how does one catch it?
The release of autopsy results has led to many wondering whether Hackman — who was suffering from dementia — being un-aware of Betsy’s death and coincidentally passing away himself a week later. Others speculated that Hackman may have been too weak and unable to reach out to authorities to communicate Betsy passing away.
Wondered one commentator on the web: ‘My guess is with the wife’s death, Hackman stopped taking his meds due to his dementia. This likely led to his passing one week later.’
Foremost was morbid curiosity about hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and how one potentially catches it.
Explains the Mayo Clinic: Humans primarily contract hantavirus by inhaling particles from infected rodent droppings, urine or nesting materials.
Infection can also occur by eating food contaminated with mouse saliva, urine or droppings or rarely, by being bitten or scratched by a rat carrying the virus. The virus is not typically spread from person to person.
In the US, most infections occur west of the Mississippi River.
Sin Nombre virus is the hantavirus strain.
Deer mice are the most common culprit in North America and New Mexico, but there are others as well. Rice rats and cotton rats are carriers in the Southeast and white-footed mice in the Northeast.
Around 865 cases of the disease were reported in the US between 1993 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New Mexico had the most cases (122) during that period. Most patients were white men in their late 30s.
The disease is fatal in humans about 40% of the time, according to New Mexico health officials.
Symptoms usually start a week to eight weeks after exposure. Breathing problems may begin four to 10 days after the initial symptoms. Notes the nypost:
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
How to reduce hantavirus risk
- Trap all mice.
- Air out closed spaces where the mice made their home.
- Use a disinfectant to soak down rodent nests and droppings.
- Don’t sweep rodent droppings into the air.
- Move hay, wood and compost piles far from your home.
- Get rid of trash and junk piles that could draw rodents.
- Don’t leave your pet’s food and water where mice can reach it.
Hackman and Arakawa had been married since 1991 and are survived by his three children.
