Hantavirus explained after Betsy Arakawa's cause of death is revealed as rare infectious disease

Officials have now been able to confirm how Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa died after their bodies were found at their home.

The bodies of the 95-year-old Hackman and the 65-year-old Betsy Arakawa were discovered at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 26.

At the time, no cause of death was proposed by authorities. A press conference, held on March 7, has since given the public more details.

Chief medical examiner Dr Heather Jarrell said: "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."

Dr Jarrell also confirmed Arakawa died of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, adding 'the manner of death is natural'.

Authorities have given an update on the cause of death for the couple (Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)

She continued: “Autopsy examination and full body post-mortem CT demonstrated no findings of trauma internally or externally with microscopic findings consistent with Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

“Laboratory testing was positive for Hantavirus at a clinical lab with required confirmation testing positive at scientific laboratories division, testing for Covid-19, influenza and other common respiratory viruses was negative testing for carbon monoxide was negative.”

But what actually is Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?

Hantavirus is a rare infectious disease linked to rodents and can often prove fatal. According to New Mexico health officials, the disease is fatal in humans about 40 percent of the time.

Humans tend to contract hantavirus by inhaling particles from infected rodent droppings, urine or nesting materials.

As well as this, infections can occur if a person consumes food that has been contaminated with mouse saliva, urine or droppings. A person can also contract it if they are bitten or scratched by a rodent carrying the disease, however, this is more rare.

Authorities confirmed that Betsy died of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome(Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

The disease is not typically spread person to person.

What are the symptoms of Hantavirus?

Around 865 cases of the disease were reported in the US between 1993 and 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When it comes to symptoms, they usually start a week to eight weeks after being exposed.

Symptoms can include, fever, tiredness, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, cough and stomach pain.

There is no specific treatment or cure but medical attention can increase the chance of survival.

Dr. Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas spoke on the disease and said: “It really starts like the flu: body aches, feeling poorly overall.

“Early in the illness, you really may not be able to tell the difference between hantavirus and having the flu.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus can cause a severe and deadly lung infection called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.