Gene Hackman
Rare Virus That Claimed Actor’s Wife Now Blamed for 3 More Deaths in California
A rare and deadly virus—previously linked to the death of Gene Hackman’s wife—is now responsible for three more fatalities in California.
Health officials in Mammoth Lakes, a town located roughly 330 miles east of San Francisco, have confirmed that three residents have died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe illness caused by hantavirus. This is the same virus that tragically claimed the life of Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa.
The Mono County Health and Human Services Public Health Division announced the third death this week. Dr. Tom Boo, the county’s Public Health Officer, called the most recent case “tragic and alarming,” noting that it’s unclear how the individual contracted the virus.
As previously reported, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found deceased in their New Mexico home on February 26. Arakawa’s cause of death was confirmed to be hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but often fatal condition.
Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, told TMZ that hantavirus moves quickly through the body. Because early symptoms resemble those of a chest cold, the virus is often misdiagnosed—especially since it’s so uncommon.
According to Dr. Klausner, hantavirus is typically spread to humans through exposure to rodent droppings or urine—often while cleaning out attics, basements, or other enclosed spaces. The virus has a fatality rate of roughly one in three.
