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Tragic Details Revealed: How Gene Hackman’s Wife Could Have Survived a Deadly Disease

BBG News

A healthcare professional elaborated on a potential method for preventing the rodent illness that led to Betsy Arakawa’s demise, if it had been applicable to her case in regards to Gene Hackman’s wife.

The autopsy results have now clarified the cause of death for both Hackman and Arakawa, putting an end to the perplexing enigma that arose when their bodies were found at home the previous week.

62-year-old Arakawa passed away due to a condition called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) on February 11. Unfortunately, her body remained in her Santa Fe home as Hackman, aged 95 and suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s, walked around the expensive property, perhaps unknowing that Arakawa had already passed away, disoriented and confused.

Paul Hackman, who was battling Alzheimer’s, tragically passed away due to complications from cardiovascular disease on a date following February 17, as indicated by the last recorded activity on his pacemaker. His wife preceded him in death.

Currently, Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a professor at the University of Southern California’s Keck School Of Medicine, has provided insights into the virus responsible for Arakawa’s demise.

In about one out of every three cases, HPS proves fatal for the patients. However, Arakawa’s chances of survival would have significantly increased if she had been promptly admitted to the hospital, as stated by Klausner to TMZ.

The virus can be transmitted when you breathe in tiny particles carrying the virus, often present in the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents.

Initially showing signs similar to the common cold or flu, Highly Pathogenic Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (HPS) may quickly escalate, causing respiratory issues, drops in blood pressure, and potential organ dysfunction.

In the United States, this particular ailment is incredibly uncommon, resulting in the death of barely one or two individuals annually. Over the last thirty years, there have been approximately 1,000 documented cases, primarily affecting groups such as farmers, hikers, campers, and homeless populations.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve observed that due to its rarity and initial symptoms that can resemble the common flu, this particular disease may go undetected by healthcare professionals when encountered.

‘He mentioned that Hantavirus may lead to an illness similar to the flu, and this condition is frequently misdiagnosed by medical professionals as the flu or other flu-related symptoms.’

The professor clarified that such an occurrence is not common and usually doesn’t cause immediate worry. It typically happens when people have been tidying up spaces like attics or basements, as they may unknowingly encounter rat or mouse droppings or urine during the process.

Unfortunately, since there’s no cure for hantavirus, the best approach seems to be early detection and providing supportive care, as Klausner pointed out in a sobering manner.

If an individual is under suspicion for Hantavirus or severe pneumonia, which are quite alike in severity, when they visit the hospital, they will be supplied with oxygen as part of their care.

If you’re unable to breathe independently, you might require mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit. Remarkably, for some individuals who receive this early intervention, survival and recovery from Hantavirus becomes a possibility.

The illness follows a similar pattern as the flu, progressing over a period ranging from several days to around two weeks.

In the subsequent phase, he focused on Arakawa’s last days, expressing: ‘She might have been battling for numerous days, feeling increasingly breathless, lightheaded, and dizzy. Moreover, she experienced difficulty in breathing when she exerted herself or walked, and for unknown reasons, she did not seek further medical help.’

Investigators are gradually reconstructing Arakawa’s activities in the time before she passed away.

On February 9th, Sheriff Adan Mendoza of Santa Fe County stated that he picked up Zinna, the pet dog of a local couple, from the vet’s office. It appears that Zinna had surgery performed there.

It might provide insight as to why the duo’s cherished 12-year-old mixed Australian Kelpie was discovered deceased inside a cage, just a short distance away from Arakawa’s remains.

On Friday, the police reported that Arakawa, aged 65, passed away due to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in her bathroom approximately on February 11th.

On that day, it’s believed she sent an email to her masseuse earlier, likely several hours prior to her passing, and then later visited a grocery store in the afternoon as The New York Times stated.

She too was spotted on surveillance cameras visiting a pharmacy while wearing a face mask, an action that her friends claimed she frequently undertook to prevent passing any diseases to her elderly and medically susceptible husband.

Later in the afternoon, Arakawa visited a nearby pet supply shop as well, and she was back in her neighborhood around 5:15 PM according to the sheriff’s statement.

Since that fateful day, I haven’t received a single email response from her, which has led me, as an ardent admirer, to suspect that could have been the time when she moved on.

After coming back home, she started to deteriorate noticeably over time. Eventually, she made her way to the bathroom, where she ultimately passed away.

She was discovered sprawled on the floor, her head near a space heater, surrounded by thyroid medication tablets.

It has been concluded by authorities that Arakawa passed away due to a rat-transmitted lung infection, offering a new development in the situation.

At a press conference held on Friday, medical professionals in New Mexico announced that a 65-year-old individual had contracted the hantavirus. This virus led to a fatal accumulation of fluid in the patient’s lungs, a condition medically referred to as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

It’s been suggested by experts that Arakawa might have contracted a very uncommon and lethal virus from the garage of the couple’s grand estate.

According to DailyMail.com, although no signs of rodents were found in the primary dwelling, there were traces of rodent waste discovered in the garage and outdoor facilities belonging to the couple.

Specialists told this website Arakawa could have picked HPS up from cleaning those areas.

In the same dwelling, Hackman and Arakawa’s pet was similarly discovered deceased. Authorities acknowledge that although it’s known that dogs might contract the virus, they typically don’t exhibit symptoms, and no instances have been documented where dogs transmitted the virus to humans.

Over a span of seven days, Clint Eastwood’s character from “Unforgiven” might have aimlessly roamed through the expansive 9000-square-foot residence, feeling disoriented, as his longtime partner wasn’t there to provide him meals, attend to his needs, or look after their cherished pets, the three dogs.

In a tragic situation where his wife’s body decayed in their bathroom, and his own health already weak, Hackman chose to abstain from eating.

An autopsy showed his stomach was empty at the time of his death.

In a room adjacent to the kitchen, his body was discovered along with his walking stick and sunglasses nearby. It appears that he might have suffered a fall, possibly as he was about to leave the house, before his frail heart failed him.

On February 18, the most recent activity of his pacemaker was noted, yet assistance didn’t come until more than a week after that date.

The reclusive couple’s dogs, who were lovingly cared for by the couple, were also left alone.

On February 9, Arakawa retrieved their pet Zinna from the veterinary hospital, but tragically, Zinna was discovered deceased in a kennel located within a bathroom closet, approximately 10 to 15 feet away from Arakawa’s partially mummified body, only two days before her passing.

Officials believe the animal had been crated due to the recent medical care it had received.

On a spacious 12-acre land, two canines – one called Bear and the other Nikita – were spotted roaming freely. They had a convenient pet door that granted them access to meals and refreshments whenever they needed.

On February 26, as two maintenance workers stumbled upon the mummified remains of Hackman and Arakawa, it was found that the dogs were wandering freely.

In a recent statement, Dr. Heather Jarrell, the Lead Medical Examiner in New Mexico, confirmed that neither death showed any indication of injury, either internally or externally, and were classified as natural causes.

This followed days of intense speculation around the seemingly mysterious deaths.

Heather Jarrell, the Primary Medical Examiner, affirmed that Hackman’s health condition before the incidents leading to his demise was quite precarious.

His health was extremely weak, with severe heart issues being the likely cause of his passing.

Officials had also said that there was no trace of carbon monoxide in the bodies of the couple.

Previously, Elizabeth Hackman proposed a hypothesis suggesting the couple’s deaths were due to carbon monoxide poisoning; however, this theory was recently debunked by officials last week.

She told TMZ that the family believed their deaths came about after inhaling the toxic fumes.

In 1972, Hackman earned an Oscar for his role in The French Connection, and he took home another award for Unforgiven in the year 1992, marking his second win after a gap of twenty years.

In the mid-1980s, while working part-time at a California gym, Hackman crossed paths with Arakawa, a pianist who had received classical training and hailed from Hawaii.

They soon moved in together, and by the end of the decade had decamped to Santa Fe.

A person who prefers solitude, Hackman was often referred to as a hermit because he stayed away from public attention for extended periods after leaving the film world in 2004.

On occasion, friends provided glimpses into his post-acting lifestyle, such as pictures from fishing trips on social media and acknowledgements of his cinematic successes. Additionally, he was sometimes seen cycling around Santa Fe.

The couple’s Pueblo-revival style house, made of stucco, perches on a hill within a gated community that nestles at the foot of the Rocky Mountains’ southern tip. Santa Fe is famed for being a sanctuary for celebrities, creative minds, and literary giants.

In his retirement, Hackman devoted a significant portion of his time to pursuits outside the limelight – namely, painting and penning novels, distancing himself from the social whirlwind of Hollywood.

For a number of years, he held a position on the board of directors at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe. Additionally, he and his spouse owned stakes in local companies.

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2025-03-08 21:05

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