The residence where Hollywood icon Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa tragically died in February was reportedly overrun with rats carrying a deadly disease, it has been disclosed. The couple, along with one of their dogs, were discovered deceased at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26.
Sheriff of Santa Fe, New Mexico, US, revealed in a press conference last month that Hackman, 95, a two-time Oscar winner, likely spent a week alone with his wife's body before he himself passed away.
Postmortem examinations indicated that Ms Arakawa, also known as Betsy Hackman, 65, succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome – a rare but potentially lethal disease transmitted to humans through infected rodent droppings or saliva. A pathologist stated that Hackman died of heart disease a week after Arakawa's death from the rare infectious disease.
A health assessment conducted by the New Mexico Department of Public Health a week after the bodies were found identified dead rodents and their nests in 'eight detached outbuildings' on the Hackman property, making it a 'breeding ground' for the fatal hantavirus, TMZ reported.
The deadly hantavirus typically spreads through rodent urine and droppings, which one might encounter while cleaning a basement or an attic. Droppings were found in three garages, two casitas, and three sheds on the property, reports the Mirror.
The American outlet reported that during an inspection, officials encountered a live rodent, as well as a deceased one, and even found a rodent nest scattered across three additional garages on the property. The health check was conducted with the purpose of ensuring first responders and potential visitors to the premises remained safe from virus exposure.
Investigators concluded that the primary residence stood as 'low-risk', finding no traces of a rodent invasion within the home. Identification of the hantavirus dates back to 1978 in South Korea, where research teams pinpointed the virus originating from a field mouse.
In the United States, the hantavirus is somewhat rare, with fewer than 50 cases surfacing each year. By contrast, the West Nile Virus sees approximately 2,000 incidences across the nation annually.
Nevertheless, the disease claimed the lives of three other people in Mammoth Lakes, California, subsequent to Ms Arakawa's death.
According to New Mexico's chief medical examiner Dr Heather Jarrell, who addressed media in Santa Fe in March, it's "reasonable to conclude" Ms Hackman succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome on February 11, at home in Santa Fe.
A brief week later, on February 18, Hackman passed due to "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor", the medic declared.
When enquired whether this meant that the actor spent seven full days deceased beside his wife before he met his own end, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza affirmed: "Yes, I would assume that that is the case."
Dr Jarrell remarked: "Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease. He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that is what resulted in his in his death."
Previously, detectives noted that Hackman’s body was discovered in a mud room, while his spouse was located lying on the bathroom floor. Mr Mendoza updated last month that Ms Arakawa had collected their canine companion Xena, who was found deceased alongside the couple, from the vet hospital on February 9.
"There was a procedure that was done with the dog, which may explain why the dog was in a crate at the residence," Mr Mendoza explained during a media briefing. He further mentioned that Ms Arakawa’s car was spotted on CCTV at around 4.54pm on February 11, and the gate remote specifically linked to her and her vehicle was utilized to enter the secured subdivision where they lived, the sheriff elaborated.
He continued by saying: "At 5.15pm, several emails were yet to be opened on her computer on February 11. Following that date, there was no more outgoing communication from her or any other known activity."
Earlier tests conducted on Hackman’s pacemaker indicated that it recorded a "last event" on February 17, suggesting he was still alive then, which was nine days before both he and his wife's bodies were found.
Dr Jarrell informed the media at a press conference: "Mr Hackman's initial pacemaker data revealed cardiac activity on February 17, with subsequent pacemaker interrogation demonstrating an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation on February 18, which was the last record of heart activity."
He further deduced: "Based on this information, it is reasonable to conclude that Mr Hackman probably died around February 18. Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Ms Hackman passed away first with February 11 being the last time that she was known to be alive."
Dr Jarrell also described the clinical presentation of hantavirus infection, noting: "Lastly, clinically, hantavirus infection is characterised by flu-like symptoms consisting of fever, muscle aches, cough, and sometimes vomiting that can progress to shortness of breath and cardiac or heart failure and lung failure."
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