Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa died of the extremely rare lung infection hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, officials revealed this week. The disease spreads from rodents.
Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare rodent-borne disease, confirmed by medical investigators in New Mexico. She contracted the virus, leading to fluid buildup in her lungs, and passed away in the couple's bathroom around February 11. Gene Hackman, who suffered from advanced Alzheimer's and was unaware of his wife's death, died from cardiovascular disease around February 18. Both bodies were discovered on February 26 after they had already begun to mummify. Rodent droppings were found in the couple's garage and outhouses.