Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease last month, while his wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away a week earlier due to hantavirus, a rare disease often caused by contact with droppings from infected rodents.
Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered dead on February 26. Hackman was found near the home’s entryway, while Arakawa was found in a bathroom.
According to news agency Associated Press, the last recorded communication and activity from Arakawa was on February 11, when she visited a grocery store, pharmacy, and food store, and entered the gated community in Santa Fe where she and Hackman lived, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.
What is hantavirus?
The virus is most commonly reported in spring and summer, often when people come into contact with mouse droppings in homes, sheds, or poorly ventilated spaces. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hantavirus can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome—a severe and sometimes fatal lung infection.
This marks the first confirmed hantavirus case in New Mexico this year. The virus does not spread from person to person.

Early symptoms may include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. As the illness worsens, affected individuals may develop coughing, shortness of breath, or chest tightness as fluid builds up in the lungs. The CDC reports that about one-third of those who develop respiratory symptoms do not survive.
According to a New York Times report, in the United States, hantavirus is most commonly found in the Four Corners region, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico intersect, according to Abdoler.
New Mexico has reported between one and seven hantavirus cases annually over the past five years, said Dr. Erin Phipps, a veterinarian with the New Mexico Department of Health.
Most infections occur in or around a person’s home or workplace, she explained. At the property east of Santa Fe where Hackman and Arakawa lived, health officials discovered signs of rodent entry in some structures. However, they found little risk of virus exposure in the main residence.