Rare virus that killed Gene Hackman’s wife kills three in small California town
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Rare virus kills three in small U.S. town - here’s why health officials are worried
- Three people have died from Hantavirus in Mammoth Lakes, California, a small town east of San Francisco, “alarming” health officials.
- All three deaths occurred within the first few months of 2025, which is unusual, as Hantavirus cases typically spike in late spring and summer.
- Hantavirus is contracted through contact with infected droppings, urine, or saliva from wild rodents, including deer mice. While deer mouse populations are high in the area, the victims were likely exposed during normal daily activities.
- The virus gained attention earlier this year when Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from it in New Mexico.
- Hantavirus has a fatality rate of about one in three, and while rare, 864 cases were recorded in the US by the end of 2022, with California and New Mexico having the highest numbers.