Dead rodents and feces were found on the late Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s property following their deaths, per multiple reports.
Hackman and Arawaka were found dead inside their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on February 26. Arakawa, who was 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease that can be contracted from rodents.
According to CNN and TMZ, the New Mexico Department of Health conducted a risk assessment on the couple’s property on March 5, a week after their bodies were discovered, for the safety of first responders and others who had accessed the estate.
A report obtained by the outlets on Monday, April 14, said that dead rodents and rodent nests were discovered within eight detached outbuildings on Hackman and Arakawa’s estate. Rodents and rodent feces were found in three garages, while feces were also found in two casitas and three sheds.
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Department of Health staff said the risk of exposure to hantavirus in the couple’s primary residence, which was considered clean, was low, reported CNN.
New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell confirmed in March that Hackman died due to hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor. He was 95.
Arakawaka’s cause of death was confirmed to be hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The infection is usually caused by inhaling hantaviruses that have become airborne from rodent urine, droppings or saliva, according to the Mayo Clinic. Because treatment options are limited, the Mayo Clinic notes that the best protection is to avoid contact with rodents and safely clean up rodent habitats.
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Officials said that Arakawa likely died before Hackman, around February 12, while the Oscar winner died around February 18.
After news broke of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths, the pair were mourned by their loved ones in a statement to Us Weekly. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” noted Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter Annie. “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
