What is hantavirus, the rare disease that killed Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa?

SANTA FE, New Mexico - American pianist Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman,

died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

, a rare disease often caused by contact with droppings from infected rodents.

Hantavirus does not spread among people in the cases found in the US. It can be transmitted through rodent saliva, but it is most commonly transmitted by breathing in particles of dried deer mouse droppings or urine.

At first, it causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, body aches and headaches. But as the disease progresses, respiratory symptoms develop and patients can experience shortness of breath and then lung or heart failure.

What is hantavirus?

Hantavirus refers to a family of viruses that are carried by rodents.

It is often transmitted to humans through inhalation of particles from dried mouse droppings. In North America, Sin Nombre virus is the most common form of this virus, said Dr Sabra L. Klein, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

At the end of 2022, 864 cases of hantavirus disease had been reported in the US since surveys of such cases began in 1993, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The “classic” case of hantavirus is contracted by someone who has visited a rural cabin that has a rodent infestation, said Dr Emily Abdoler, a doctor and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Hantavirus has flu-like symptoms at first

Hantavirus can cause flu-like symptoms that appear one to eight weeks after exposure to droppings from an infected rodent, according to Dr Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner of New Mexico state.

Later, patients often experience shortness of breath and then lung or heart failure.

The mortality rate from the hantavirus strain in the south-western US is between 38 per cent and 50 per cent, Dr Jarrell said. The strain in the region cannot be transmitted from person to person, she added.

New Mexico is no stranger to hantavirus

Dr Abdoler said that in the US, hantavirus is most commonly found in the Four Corners region – the area encompassing where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet.

Dr Erin Phipps, a veterinarian at the New Mexico Department of Health, said New Mexico has recorded between one and seven hantavirus infections yearly for the past five years.

Most people get infected around their home or workplace, she said.

On the property east of Santa Fe where Mr Hackman and Ms Arakawa lived, health officials found signs of rodent entry in some structures, although there was little risk of exposure to the virus in the main residence.

Dr Jarrell said it is not clear when Ms Arakawa began to feel ill.

How do I prevent hantavirus?

Dr Klein said that although there are antivirals that can help manage symptoms, there are no cures specifically for hantavirus. That is why prevention is important.

If you live in an area where hantavirus-infected rodents are known to roam, clean any droppings with a wet paper towel. Do not use a vacuum or a broom, which can stir up particles from the excrement.

Use gloves and a tight-fitting N95 mask in a well-ventilated space.

People should spray the area with a bleach solution or a commercial disinfectant and let it sit for five minutes. Then they should clean the area with paper towels, tossing them in a dustbin that closes tightly, Dr Phipps said.

Treatment of hantavirus in the intensive care unit may include intubation and oxygen therapy, fluid replacement and medications to support blood pressure. Antiviral drugs are sometimes used. NYTIMES