Autopsies solved the mystery of how Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa died, after a week of speculation. Photo / Getty Images
Autopsies solved the mystery of how Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa died, after a week of speculation. Photo / Getty Images
Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare respiratory disease.
Hackman, aged 95, died a week later from heart failure, with severe Alzheimer’s as a contributory factor.
Hantavirus was not a factor in the death of the couple’s dog – canines are immune to the disease.
Doctors have confirmed the death of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman’s wife was caused by the rare disease hantavirus. But what is it and how can it be contracted?
The mystery over the couple’s death has been solved, with confirmation Betsy Arakawa died first from a disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome(HPS).
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe, often fatal respiratory disease caused by hantaviruses, found in rodents.
Although it’s rare, people can get HPS through a bite or scratch from a rodent such as a mouse or rat.
More often, the disease can be contracted from contact with rodents, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings and saliva.
Humans can also contract it if they breathe in the virus from an infected rodent. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, HPS has a mortality rate of 38%.
Arakawa’s dog was also found dead mere feet away from her body, but HPS did not cause the pet’s death.
Dogs cannot get sick from hantavirus, according to Dr Erin Phipps, the New Mexico state department veterinarian. Authorities now believe the dog starved to death.
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa pictured in 1991. The pair were found dead in late February. Photo / Getty Images
HPS has not been shown to be transmitted from human to human. It cannot be contracted through kissing or touching another person with HPS.
Early symptoms of HPS may include fever, fatigue and muscle aches, particularly large muscle aches in the thighs, hips, back or shoulder.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, other manifestations of HPS can include headache, dizziness, chills and gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain.
As the disease progresses, patients become severely short of breath because their lungs fill with fluid. The heart is also impacted.
HPS can also lead to organ failure, which is why it is associated with a relatively high mortality rate in humans.
Although there is no specific treatment for HPS, early detection means recovery can be quick with few long-term consequences.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention advises you see a doctor immediately if you have been exposed to rodents and suspect HPS.
Autopsies reveal background to couple’s deaths
The autopsy results have ended more than a week of mystery surrounding the death of one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars.
The bodies of Oscar-winning actor Hackman and his wife were found on February 26 in their home in New Mexico after emergency services were called to their property.
“The cause of death for Mr. Gene Hackman, aged 95 years, is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor,” Heather Jarrell, the chief medical examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, told reporters.
Gene Hackman in The Conversation.
“The cause of death for Miss Betsy Arakawa, aged 65 years, is hantavirus, pulmonary syndrome. The manner of death is natural.”
Neither body showed any sign of trauma, nor any indication of carbon monoxide poisoning, which had been an initial suggestion.
Jarrell said data from Hackman’s pacemaker showed its last activity over a week before his body was found when maintenance workers were unable to access the couple’s sprawling Santa Fe property.
“Based on this information, it is reasonable to conclude that Hackman probably died around February 18.
“Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Arakawa passed away first, with February 11 being the last time that she was going to be alive,” said Jarrell.
First responders found the door unlocked and open, and pills scattered next to Arakawa’s body, which was in the bathroom.
Hackman’s body was found in another room, fully clothed, with sunglasses nearby, indicating a sudden fall.
Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning.
Investigators suggested it could be the case that Hackman had not realised his wife was dead in the bathroom, given his advanced age and neurodegenerative disease.
“He was in an advanced state of Alzheimer’s, and it’s quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased,” the medical examiner said.
A Hackman family spokesperson had previously denied reports of his Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to the deceased couple, a dog was found dead in the bathroom, and two other healthy dogs were at the house.
Along with the autopsies, the investigation had focused on piecing together a timeline of the couple’s last days, which detectives said had been complicated by their low profile and their preference for privacy.
Gene Hackman, left, Luke Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Danny Glover in The Royal Tenenbaums. Photo / Supplied
Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, was credited for intense performances inspired by his troubled upbringing, notching up dozens of movie credits extending into his 70s.
He is perhaps best known as vulgar New York cop Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in the 1971 crime thriller The French Connection – for which he won an Oscar for best actor.
He won another golden statuette two decades later for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the brutal small-town sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett in the 1992 western Unforgiven.
