Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s property deemed possible ‘breeding ground’ for hantavirus
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What an investigation at the Hackman-Arakawa home tells us about their deaths
- A public health report shows that actor Gene Hackman’s property in New Mexico was a potential breeding ground for hantavirus due to signs of rodent infestation across multiple buildings.
- Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at the property in February. Arakawa died from hantavirus, a rare rodent-borne disease, while Hackman died of heart disease complicated by Alzheimer’s.
- An environmental risk assessment by the New Mexico Public Health Department found rodents, faeces, and nests in various outbuildings and vehicles on the property, suggesting an ongoing infestation.
- The primary residence was deemed low-risk with no signs of rodent activity inside.
- Hantavirus pulmonary disease is fatal in nearly four out of 10 people infected, with almost 730 cases identified in the US between 1993 and 2017.