Betsy ArakawaThe wife of the end Gene hackmanHantavirus pulmonary syndrome died, New Mexico officials announced on Friday.
Confirmation of his cause of death ends in the mystery weeks after Arakawa, 65 years old, and Hackman, 95 found dead Inside their Santa Fe house on February 26, without obvious sign of the way they died, according to the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Bureau.
The chief medical investigator said Friday This hackman, an award -winning actor in the Oscars, has died of a hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with “Alzheimer’s disease as an important contributory factor”.
Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Golden Globe Awards Annual in Beverly Hills, California, January 19, 2003.
Mark J. TERRILL / AP
The officials said Hackman died around February 18 and Arakawa died around February 11. Hackman, known for sharing three company dogs with Arakawa, was probably at home with his wife who died for a week before his death, authorities announced.
The house belonging to actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa on February 27, 2025, in Santa Fe, NM
Roberto E. Rosales / AP
While the cause of the death of Hackman – a condition in which high blood pressure damages blood vessels, causing heart problems – is more common, the syndrome that has caused the death of Arakawa is rare.
There have been less than 900 cases of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the United States in the past 30 years, according to The United States Centers for Disease Control.
What is Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a condition that “causes pseudo-grapple symptoms that can evolve towards a more serious illness where people find it difficult to breathe”, according to the CDC. It is a severe and potentially fatal infection that mainly affects lungs and needs rapid medical care.
Hantavirus are a family of virus that can cause serious illness and death, and some hantavirus cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Most Hantavirus found in the United States cause Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to the CDC.
What are the symptoms of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?
At its beginnings, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome causes pseudo-grapple symptoms which can then evolve towards a more serious illness, causing difficulties in breathing, according to the CDC.
The first symptoms may include fever, muscle pain, fatigue. About 10 days in the disease, patients can develop a cough and shortness of breath with a potentially part of the liquid construction in the lungs.
How is Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome treated?
The CDC recommends that patients suspected of having a hantavirus pulmonary syndrome will be treated quickly, even before a diagnosis is made, because the symptoms of the Hantavirus may resemble many other viral infections, such as flu.
Hantavirus is diagnosed with a blood test.
An electronic micrography with Hantavirus transmission is shown.
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Medical care for Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can include additional oxygen, antibiotic therapy, fluids and mechanical or non -invasive ventilation, depending on the CDC.
The syndrome is fatal in nearly four infected people, according to the CDC.
How does the Hantavirus spread?
According to the CDC, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is propagated by infected rodents through their urine, their excrement and their saliva.
In the United States, the most common hantavirus that causes Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is distributed by deer mouse.
People can be infected if they breathe in the air contaminated by the Hantavirus during cleaning after rodents; Touch contaminated objects then touch their face; are bitten or striped by an infected rodent; Or eat foods contaminated by Hantavirus, according to the CDC.
Dogs and cats are not known to be infected with Hantavirus, according to the CDC, but they can disseminate it to humans if they bring rodents infected with people or inside houses.
What is the frequency of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?
There was only about 860 cases of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome since the CDC began to follow syndrome in 1993 in the United States
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The state of the new-mexic reported Seven cases of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in each of the last two years.
Between 1975 and 2023, the state recorded a total of 129 cases of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome with 52 deaths, according to The New Mexico Health Department.
