Gene Hackman’s wife dies from Hantavirus, New Mexico Health officials confirm

SANTA FE, New Mexico (KVIA) – The New Mexico Department of Health confirmed today that Betsy Arakawa, 65, from Santa Fe County died of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), marking the first reported case in New Mexico this year. 

Hackman and Arakawa were found dead in their home at Santa Fe on February 26, after a welfare check. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office responded to their home and were discovered with no clear signs of the cause of death.

"The Hantavirus is considered a severe respiratory illness caused by the Sin Nombre virus, which is transmitted when people come in contact with infected rodents, their urine, droppings, or saliva," said the New Mexico Department of Health. "The virus can become airborne when disturbed, posing a risk of inhalation. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission in New Mexico."

Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea and can escalate to respiratory distress and severe illness. There sooner the infection is diagnosed the better the survival rate. Medical experts say symptoms develop within one or six weeks after people come in contact with a rodent.

“This tragic death reminds us that hantavirus remains a serious public health concern in our state,” said Erin Phipps, state public health veterinarian for NMDOH. “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.” 

The virus was first recognized in 1993 and seen throughout the United States. There were 7 confirmed cases of Hantavirus in New Mexico in 2024, another 7 in 2023 and 4 in 2022.

THE NMDOH said the public needs to take precautions in order to reduce hantavirus risk and air out closed-up structures like cabins and sheds, as well as abandoned or stored vehicles. They recommend using traps to control mouse populations.

For more information on hantavirus, Sin Nombre virus, and prevention visit the NM Health Website here.