Rare virus that killed Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa kills further three in US

A rare illness that killed Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, has claimed the lives of three others in the US.

In February, classical pianist Arakawa (who had been married to Hollywood legend Hackman for over 30 years) was found dead in the celebrity couple's New Mexico home.

When law enforcement arrived, the couple's dogs alerted them to where Hackman had also died.

Officials said Arakawa and Hackman died at different times: Arakawa is believed to have passed on or around February 11, while Behind Enemy Lines actor Hackman died on February 18.

The couple also died for different reasons, with Arakawa's cause of death being revealed as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) - a rare infectious disease linked to rodents.

Now, less than two months after Arakawa's unexpected passing and three other Americans have died from the same disease in a small town in California.

Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa died of Hantavirus (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

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Dr Tom Boo, Mono County Public Health Officer, said in a statement issued on April 3: "A third case of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), each of which has been fatal, is tragic and alarming.

"We don’t have a clear sense of where this young adult may have contracted the virus. The home had no evidence of mouse activity. We observed some mice in the workplace, which is not unusual for indoor spaces this time of year in Mammoth Lakes.

"We haven't identified any other activities in the weeks before illness that would have increased this person's exposure to mice or their droppings. We’ve been aware of this suspected case for some weeks, but it has taken time to obtain testing."

The first case of Hantavirus in Mono Country was reported in 1993.

Dr Boo went on: "The occurrence of three cases in a short period has me worried, especially this early in the year. Historically, we tend to see Hantavirus cases later in the spring and in the summer. We’ve now gone about a month without any additional suspect cases, but remain concerned about the increase in activity."

Going on to address why these fatalities may have occurred, Dr Boo said that 'deer mouse numbers are high this year in Mammoth' and the higher number of these rodents means there's more risk of Hantavirus exposure.

His statement continued: "I want to emphasize that as far as we know, none of these deceased individuals engaged in activities typically associated with exposure, such as cleaning out poorly ventilated indoor areas or outbuildings with a lot of mouse waste.

"Instead, these folks may have been exposed during normal daily activities, either in the home or the workplace. Many of us encounter deer mice in our daily lives and there is some risk. We should pay attention to the presence of mice and be careful around their waste."

Dr Boo went on to say that the three cases are being investigated by local and state public health officials.

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