Public safety and health officials on Friday reported New Mexico’s first hantavirus death of the year while providing highly awaited answers to the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa. Both were discovered on Feb. 26, along with one of their dogs, who had died while crated, at their Santa Fe home.

At a news conference hosted by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the state Office of the Medical Investigator, OMI Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell said Arakawa, 65, whose legal name was Betsy Hackman, appeared to have preceded Gene Hackman in death by about a week due to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Gene Hackman, 95, died around Feb. 18 from heart disease with Alzheimer’s disease as a contributing factor, she said. Gene Hackman did not test positive for hantavirus. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the dog (Zinna) had undergone a procedure earlier in the month, which might explain why she had been crated while other dogs in the home were not. Officials are still awaiting results from the dog’s autopsy, he said, to try to determine her cause of death.

In her remarks, Jarrell said it was “unprecedented” for OMI to “make public statements about death investigations. “ However, the circumstances surrounding these two deaths require accurate dissemination of important information.” She also noted that the Hackman family was aware of the news conference.

Both Jarrell and state Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps provided additional information at the news conference about the coronavirus. NMDOH also issued a news release Friday announcing the first hantavirus death, although they did not name Betsy Hackman in the news release.

A severe respiratory illness caused by the Sin Nombre virus, hantavirus transmits via contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, or saliva. It can also become airborne. Health officials say no evidence exists in New Mexico of human-to-human transmission. New Mexico had seven confirmed cases in the last two years and two the year prior, in 2022.

Symptoms generally develop within one to six weeks of exposure and can feel like the flu and include fever and muscle aches, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cough, and can progress to respiratory distress and severe illness.

“This tragic death reminds us that hantavirus remains a serious public health concern in our state,” Phipps said in a statement. “While cases are relatively rare, the mortality rate is significant. We urge New Mexicans to take preventative measures seriously, particularly when cleaning areas where rodents may have been present.”

NMDOH recommendations:

• Air out closed-up structures like cabins and sheds, as well as abandoned or stored vehicles, before entering them.
• Use traps to control mouse populations.
• Seal homes, buildings, and shelters to prevent rodents from entering.
• Disinfect nests and droppings with a 10% bleach solution before cleaning up.
• Never sweep or vacuum rodent droppings.
• Store hay, wood, and compost away from dwellings.
• Eliminate trash and junk piles that can harbor rodents.
• Keep pet food and water in rodent-proof containers.