New Mexico officers introduced the reason for demise Friday for actor Gene Hackman and his spouse Betsy Arakawa weeks after the couple was discovered lifeless at their dwelling in Santa Fe.
The pair died within days of each other and there have been no obvious indicators of foul play, New Mexico Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell mentioned at a information convention. Their our bodies have been found on Feb. 26.
Hackman, 95, doubtless died on Feb. 18, from coronary heart illness, with Alzheimer’s illness as a contributing issue, officers mentioned after medical investigators carried out autopsies.
His spouse, 65, doubtless died a few week earlier than him of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a uncommon illness typically unfold by rodents within the Southwest. She was final recognized alive on Feb. 11, investigators mentioned.
There have been solely seven confirmed cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in New Mexico in 2024, in keeping with state well being officers.
What’s hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?
Hantaviruses are a household of viruses that may trigger uncommon however doubtlessly lethal sicknesses.
There are numerous several types of hantaviruses worldwide.
“These viruses are zoonotic, that means they’re transmitted from animals to people,” Dr. Erin Phipps, the state public well being veterinarian with the New Mexico Well being Division mentioned at Friday’s information convention.
Hantaviruses may cause two syndromes: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, often known as HPS, or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, also called HFRS, according to the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
HFRS is discovered largely in Europe and Asia, the CDC mentioned, whereas HPS is discovered within the Western Hemisphere, together with america.
Hantaviruses have been discovered all through New Mexico, primarily in deer mice, however in different rodents as effectively.
“A small variety of human infections are discovered yearly in New Mexico,” mentioned Phipps.
Between one and 7 instances have been confirmed yearly within the state over the previous 5 years, she mentioned. There have been 136 infections confirmed statewide over the previous 50 years, with 5 in Santa Fe County.
“It is a critical illness,” Phipps mentioned, including that 42% of the infections in New Mexico have been deadly.
There isn’t a present particular therapy to treatment hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
How does hantavirus pulmonary syndrome unfold?
The virus is unfold within the U.S. by means of rodents, primarily by means of deer mice and different comparable mice.
The CDC began monitoring hantavirus in 1993 after an outbreak of extreme respiratory sickness within the 4 Corners area — the realm the place Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. As of 2022, there had been 864 cases of hantavirus disease reported within the U.S. since surveillance started, in keeping with the CDC.
U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention
The virus shouldn’t be unfold from person-to-person, however from animals to people.
Hantavirus may be transmitted from rodent dropping, urine and saliva. An contaminated individual can get HPS by respiration within the virus, the New Mexico well being division said, and this occurs when droppings or urine containing the virus is stirred up within the air as mist or mud. It might additionally unfold if somebody touches their eyes, nostril, or mouth after they’ve touched droppings or mud that incorporates the virus.
“Avoiding contact with or inhaling aerosolized rodent urine or feces, particularly in a poorly ventilated space, is essential,” Phipps mentioned.
Folks can even get hantavirus from a mouse chew, however that is uncommon, the New Mexico well being division mentioned.
Most transmissions happen across the resident’s dwelling or office. On March 5, New Mexico well being officers performed an inspection of the Hackman’s property, mentioned Phipps. Indicators of rodent entry have been discovered on constructions on the Hackman’s property, however not in the primary residence, officers mentioned.
What are the signs of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?
Hantavirus infections can initially trigger flu-like signs that final roughly three to 6 days. An contaminated individual can endure from fever, muscle aches, coughs and generally vomiting and diarrhea.
These signs can generally progress to shortness of breath, coronary heart and lung failure, mentioned Jarrell. This will happen anyplace from one to eight weeks after publicity to excrement from a mouse species that carries hantavirus, she mentioned.
The CDC says early signs can embody:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Muscle aches, particularly within the giant muscle teams just like the thighs, hips, again, and generally shoulders
Contaminated folks can even expertise:
- Complications
- Dizziness
- Chills
- Stomach issues, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and belly ache
Folks affected by the an infection can begin to have fluid in and round their lungs about 4 to 10 days after the preliminary section of the sickness. The sickness can shortly flip life-threatening if that occurs.
“At that time, an individual can die in a short time, inside 24 to 48 hours, roughly talking, with out medical therapy,” Jarrell mentioned.
Gene Hackman examined unfavorable for hantavirus, officers mentioned.
contributed to this report.
