Was Gene Hackman's Wife a Victim of Hantavirus Before 2026 Cruise Outbreak?

Hollywood lost two legends in February 2025 when Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away in their New Mexico home.

It appears that Betsy passed first, and Gene shortly after. Due to the fact that the actor had advanced Alzheimer’s and Betsy was his caretaker, it stands to reason that he was unable to sustain himself after his wife's passing.

While Gene's cause of death is clear, Betsy's wasn't as straightforward. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) ordered an autopsy in order to rule out any foul play.

To be extremely clear, no one suspected Gene of harming his wife, but there were concerns that there had been a break-in of sorts. Now that the autopsy results are in, people want to know — did Betsy die of hantavirus?

Sadly, it seems that Betsy was one of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome's first known victims. Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus, and the OMI found evidence of rats inhabiting Gene and Betsy's home.

The investigation uncovered rodent feces as well as both dead and live rodents on the property. Given that hantavirus is caused by interaction with rodent urine, droppings, and saliva, it stands to reason that the virus was the cause of death.

Another piece of evidence is the fact that Betsy seemed to have believed she was ill with either the flu or COVID, both of which have symptoms similar to hantavirus.

Hantavirus presents with fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, dizziness, and gastrointestinal issues. All of those symptoms are prevalent in both COVID and the flu, making it difficult to distinguish between the three ailments.

Shortly before her passing, Betsy had been Googling her symptoms, demonstrating that she'd been feeling unwell in her last days. Furthermore, those who spotted her out in public claimed that she had been wearing a mask while out and about.

Unfortunately, 95-year-old Gene and 65-year-old Betsy's home was in a state of disarray in the couple's final stage of life. As often happens with people of mature age, they presumably became unable to manage their property's upkeep, which led to the rodent infestation, which then led to Betsy getting hantavirus.

This tragedy serves as a solemn reminder to check on our loved ones of advanced age, who may require assistance.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s website, "Rodent control is the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a disease caused by infection with certain hantaviruses. Wild rodents near human populations should be controlled and excluded from homes."

The CDC goes to to advise that pet rats be kept away from wild rodents, and be cleaned up after properly and safely (ideally, with the use of gloves). If one finds they have a rodent infestation in their home, it's advised to contact the proper professionals rather than attempt an extermination oneself.

Further guidelines can be found on the CDC website.