Betsy Arakawa, a concert pianist and the wife of late actor Gene Hackman, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to a final autopsy report released Tuesday.
The report, made public two days after Hackman’s autopsy findings, detailed that Arakawa’s lungs were “heavy and congested,” with fluid buildup in her chest and mild hardening of the blood vessels supplying her heart and body, confirming an earlier positive test result for hantavirus.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly disease transmitted through the droppings, saliva, or urine of infected rodents. It does not spread between humans. The New Mexico Department of Health found rodent droppings in outbuildings on the couple’s property, though no evidence of rodents was discovered inside their home, which was described as clean….