Learn More About Hantavirus, the Infection that Killed Gene Hackman’s Wife

Betsy Arakawa, wife of legendary actor Gene Hackman, was found dead along with her Oscar-winning husband in late February. Her death is attributed to hantavirus infection, officials in New Mexico announced on March 7, 2025.

Hantaviruses are found worldwide and contracted from exposure to rodents such as rats and mice, specifically through their droppings and urine. As noted by the CDC, hantaviruses cause two syndromes, and the syndrome common to the US is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a disease that impacts the lungs. Patients typically present with symptoms 1 to 8 weeks following contact with an infected rodent and may experience some of the following symptoms:

• Fatigue;
• Fever;
• Muscle aches;
• Headaches;

• Dizziness;
• Chills; and
• Abdominal problems.

In its advanced stages, HPS causes fluid buildup in the lungs, which leads to coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Close to 40% of people who develop respiratory symptoms die from hantavirus.

Hantavirus disease surveillance started in the US in 1993 during an outbreak in the Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah ‘Four Corners’ convergence area. Two years later, HPS became a nationally notifiable disease.

At the end of 2022, the CDC recorded 864 cases of hantavirus in the US since surveillance started. Of those cases, 35% of people have died. The death of Arakawa, 65, who was a classical pianist, marks the first case of hantavirus in New Mexico this year.

To reduce the risk of hantaviruses, CDC recommends minimizing exposure to rodents in your home, workplace, or at campsites by sealing holes and gaps in your home or garage, placing traps, and cleaning up easily accessible food.

Despite the seemingly rare case of Arakawa’s death, her infection might be indicative of a bigger problem and emphasizes the need for heightened awareness and vigilance. “The recent hantavirus case in New Mexico might be an isolated incident, but it could also indicate undetected transmission, similar to how Ebola spread silently in West Africa before being recognized,” said MarkAlain Déry, DO, New Orleans-based infectious disease expert with Access Health Louisiana, who has personally diagnosed several cases of hantavirus. “Although hantavirus does not have the same epidemic potential as Ebola due to its mode of transmission, environmental changes, and diagnostic challenges emphasize the need for vigilance. Enhanced surveillance and ecological monitoring are essential for identifying and mitigating future risks.”

Sources

About Hantavirus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html . Published May 13, 2024. Accessed March 10, 2025

Reported cases of hantavirus disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/data-research/cases/index.html. Published June 26, 2024. Accessed March 10, 2025.

Lee M, Bryan SM, Baumann L. Gene Hackman died of heart disease, his wife died of hantavirus, authorities say. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/gene-hackman-death-betsy-arakawa-investigation-c94b2cb4d5d7aec9a1a39a81b46dbdf9. Published March 8, 2025. Accessed March 10, 2025.