California high alert: What is Hantavirus? Symptoms and Diagnosis

Betsy Arakawa, wife of Gene Hackman, passed away in Feb due to HPS. Experts say Hantavirus, or HPS, is a rare viral disease that affects the heart, lungs, and other organs, and cases are now rising

Academy Award-winning American actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away within days of one another. 

 

Medical experts who conducted autopsies concluded that Hackman, 95, most likely passed away on February 18 from heart disease, with Alzheimer's disease playing a role.

A week or so before him, his 65-year-old wife most certainly passed away from a hantavirus infection, a rare disease that is frequently spread by rodents in the Southwest. 

 

According to state health officials, New Mexico had just 7 confirmed cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in 2024 (CBS News). 

 

This week, Mono County Public Health confirmed three more deaths from the virus and described the situation as both "tragic" and "alarming." The occurrence of three cases in a short time span has the Public Health Department worried.

 

What is Hantavirus?

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS, is a rare viral illness that can harm your heart, lungs, and other organs, according to specialists. It can be quite deadly and progresses quickly.

 

Inhaling, eating, drinking, or otherwise coming into touch with contaminated mouse or rat feces, drops or poop, urine, or saliva can result in HPS, according to doctors. Although hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is uncommon, since medical researchers started monitoring it in 1993, there have been about 1,000 cases of HPS reported in the US. 

 

According to the CDC, HPS is widespread in the Western Hemisphere, which includes the US, but HFRS is primarily seen in Europe and Asia. All around New Mexico, hantaviruses have been discovered, mostly in deer mice but also in other rodents.

Hantavirus or HPS: Symptoms

Flu-like symptoms like fever, headache, chills, body pains, nausea, vomiting, stomach discomfort, and a dry cough are typically the first signs of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). Breathing issues may develop as the condition worsens. According to the CDC, early treatment is crucial because HPS kills about 4 out of 10 affected individuals.

In what ways does the Hantavirus infect your body?

According to medical professionals, the hantavirus multiplies and spreads once it gets into your body. The infection weakens and leaks the muscles in your lungs. Breathing becomes challenging when blood fills the air sacs in your lungs. The virus weakens and leaks blood arteries in your heart and affects the heart muscle itself.

 

Your heart's capacity to pump nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to your body's cells and organs is impacted by weak, leaky blood vessels. Your body enters shock when there is insufficient blood flow to your cells and organs. You could rapidly suffer organ failure and pass away if your body enters shock.

Hantavirus that killed Gene Hackman's wife: Health Officials statement

Experts stress the importance of controlling the number of indoor mice as rodent activity rises, especially in areas like Mammoth and the Eastern Sierra in California. Homes should be sealed, food waste removed, and rodent nests or droppings should never be handled without protective gear.

 

The severity of this sickness is underscored by its severe and life-threatening connection with Hantavirus. It also emphasizes how crucial cleanliness, attentiveness, and preventative steps are to preventing this silent killer.